What Happened to Sebastian Rogers? Search for Tennessee Teen Continues

More than two months after 15-year-old Sebastian Rogers disappeared from his Tennessee home, authorities questioned whether the autistic teen could be in North Carolina after a photo resembling him started circulating the internet.

The photo seems to be of a doppelganger, as Sumner County's Sheriff's Office "determined the child depicted in the photograph is NOT Sebastian Rogers."

"We understand the gravity of the situation and the concern it has raised," the sheriff's office said in press release. "Our collaborative efforts with law enforcement agencies continue unabated as we remain committed to finding Sebastian."

Seth Rogers, the boy's biological father, told local news outlets he was "pretty sure" the photographs were of his son, who vanished from the home of his mother and stepfather in Sumner County at the end of February.

Timeline of Teen's Disappearance

Chris Proudfoot, Rogers' stepfather, was working out of town at the time, and his mother, Katie Proudfoot, said her son wasn't in his room when she went to wake him for school on Feb. 26.

Seth Rogers said the teen's shoes were still at the front door, his Nintendo Switch was where he left it and his phone was still in the kitchen.

There were no signs of a break-in, suggesting the teen may have left on his own accord.

Seth Rogers thinks there was foul play involved.

"Somebody doesn't want me to find my son," the father said on Nancy Grace's Crime Stories podcast. "There's things that have been coming off of the internet that I need to stop searching for him."

He said people have been following him and his volunteers around "trying to be an intimidating factor." People are also taking down fliers, he claimed.

The United Cajun Navy, a nonprofit organization that arranges rescue teams, joined the effort the weekend of March 23. The search, however, was called off for the following Friday due to "increasing safety concerns."

"Today's search for Sebastian Rogers has been called off. Due to increasing security concerns and with the upcoming Easter holiday, the decision has been made as of this morning to pull back and regroup," the United Cajun Vany wrote on Facebook. "This decision was not taken lightly is made with the safety of all volunteers in mind. We want to thank all the volunteers that planned to be out searching today. We are very grateful. We will continue to evaluate the situation and support ongoing local efforts in the meantime. This does not mean the search is over."

Brian Tauscher, the vice president of the United Cajun Navy, said on the podcast that "there are people there in Sumner County that do not want this boy found."

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) sent out an Amber Alert on Feb. 27 for Rogers, who was described as having a "medical condition that may impair his ability to return safely without assistance."

The alert described Rogers as 5 feet 5 inches and weighing 120 pounds. He wears glasses and has brown hair and brown eyes. Rogers was last seen wearing black sweatpants and a black sweatshirt, according to an alert issued by the Sumner County Sheriff's Office.

Since his disappearance, massive searches for Rogers took place with scent dogs, drones, helicopters, divers and a search team on both foot and horseback.

The Proudfoots gave an interview to local news channel WSMV at the beginning of March.

"I just want my baby to be OK," Katie Proudfoot said. "He's not a runner. He's never run away before. I don't know why he walked out that door...We've been combing over that day, and even the weeks before he left, and I haven't been able to figure it out."

Anyone with information about Rogers' whereabouts is asked to contact the Sumner County Emergency Communication Center at 615-451-3838 or the TBI at 1-800-TBI-FIND.