Key facts
- Name: Sebastian Wayne Drake Rogers
- Born: December 7, 2008
- Age at disappearance: 15
- Last seen: February 25, 2024 (evening); discovered missing February 26, 2024, ~6:00 a.m.
- Location: Stafford Court, Hendersonville, Sumner County, Tennessee
- Height / build: 5’5″, 120 lbs, hazel eyes, blond/brown hair, square-framed glasses; last seen in a black sweatshirt and black sweatpants
- Medical: Autism spectrum disorder, severe combined-type ADHD, 6Q27 Chromosome Deletion Syndrome; required extensive support; had never left home alone
- Status: Still missing — Sumner County Sheriff’s Office active investigation with TBI and FBI; AMBER Alert / Endangered Child Alert still active
- Reward: Up to $50,000 (FBI)
- Investigating agency: Sumner County Sheriff’s Office — (615) 451-3838; TBI 1-800-TBI-FIND; FBI 1-800-CALL-FBI; NCMEC 1-800-843-5678
The empty bedroom
February 25, 2024, was an ordinary good day. Fifteen-year-old Sebastian Rogers spent it with his mother, Katie Proudfoot — BJ’s Wholesale Club, games at Strike and Spare, dinner at 6:30. Home by evening. He took the trash to the curb at 8, went to bed at 9, said goodnight to his mother and his two dogs. Around 10, Katie heard a loud noise from his room and called out. He answered. He was fine.
At 6 the next morning, Katie went to wake him for school. His room was empty.
She drove the neighborhood, then his school, searching. By 6:03 she was on the phone with her husband Christopher Proudfoot, Sebastian’s stepfather, who was three hours away in southwest Tennessee for work. He contacted the police. At 11:17 a.m., the TBI issued an Endangered Child Alert. The next day, an AMBER Alert.
Inside the house, everything was where it should be: his shoes, his cellphone, his Nintendo Switch on the table, his money. The only thing missing from the entire home was a small yellow flashlight.
Sebastian had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, severe combined-type ADHD, and 6Q27 Chromosome Deletion Syndrome — a rare genetic disorder associated with intellectual disabilities and developmental delays. He attended behavioral therapy multiple times a week, saw specialists at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and required extensive support services. According to his father, he didn’t like going barefoot after a childhood incident — making the shoeless departure especially alarming. He had never left home by himself. “I don’t know why he walked out that door,” his mother told WSMV that March.
Who Sebastian was
Sebastian Wayne Drake Rogers was 15, described by his father Seth Rogers as “a bright light, fun, and energetic, with a mischievous side like any kid.” He lived with his mother and stepfather in the Shackle Island community near Hendersonville, not far from Beech High School, and had ties to Clarksville, where his father lived.
His father has become the case’s most relentless advocate — traveling tens of thousands of miles chasing leads, organizing awareness campaigns across multiple states, holding protests in Hendersonville on the two-year anniversary. In July 2026, Seth filed two federal lawsuits against the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office and the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, alleging the agencies failed Sebastian before his disappearance and mishandled the investigation afterward. “My son wasn’t protected,” he said. “My son wasn’t found.” He has also said he hadn’t heard from the sheriff’s office in more than eighteen months.
The investigation
The initial response was enormous: helicopters, K-9 units, dive teams, volunteers — one of the largest search efforts in Sumner County history. It turned up nothing. A photo that surfaced in May 2024, apparently showing Sebastian at a North Carolina visitor center, was investigated; the lookalike teen was identified and ruled out. Glasses and pants found in a local creek were confirmed not to be his. Neighborhood security footage from the night showed strange lights near the house — examined, unexplained, unconnected.
Sheriff Eric Craddock — who was Chief Deputy when Sebastian vanished and was appointed Sheriff in August 2024 after Sheriff Sonny Weatherford’s death — has described a case in holding pattern: “We are doing everything we can… every time a tip comes down we follow up.” With tips decreasing, he said, “in the absence of information what we continue to do is go back over everything we’ve done once and give it a new set of eyes.”
In February 2026, the sheriff’s office confirmed the case remains active and ongoing with the TBI and FBI. The FBI’s $50,000 reward stands. Sebastian has never been removed from missing-persons databases.
Theories: what might have happened
Wandered off. A 15-year-old with autism and developmental delays, out the door in the night with a flashlight. But his father is adamant: “No matter how I look at it, I just cannot wrap my head around my son walking out of that house. No matter where we lived, he’s never been one to just walk out of the house.” And the massive immediate search found nothing.
Abducted. A vulnerable teenager, unable to return home without assistance, taken from his home in the night. The FBI’s kidnapping flyer and $50,000 reward reflect that this remains on the table. What undercuts a resolution: no witness, no vehicle, no ransom, no forensic trail ever made public.
Foul play by someone known to him. The lawsuits allege failures before and after the disappearance — but allegations in a filing are not findings, and no one has been named as a suspect or charged. Everyone named in this case is presumed innocent.
Have information?
Contact the Sumner County Emergency Communications Center: (615) 451-3838; TBI: 1-800-TBI-FIND; FBI: 1-800-CALL-FBI or tips.fbi.gov (reward up to $50,000); NCMEC: 1-800-843-5678. In an emergency, dial 911.
Timeline
- December 7, 2008 — Sebastian Wayne Drake Rogers is born.
- February 25, 2024 — Day out with his mother; home by evening; in bed by 9 p.m.
- February 26, 2024, ~6:00 a.m. — Discovered missing; shoes, phone, Switch left behind; only a small flashlight gone.
- February 26, 2024, 11:17 a.m. — TBI issues Endangered Child Alert.
- February 27, 2024 — AMBER Alert issued (still active).
- 2024 — Massive searches find nothing; false leads (NC photo, creek clothing) ruled out.
- February 2026 — Two-year mark; sheriff confirms active investigation; protests in Hendersonville.
- July 2026 — Father Seth Rogers files federal lawsuits against the sheriff’s office and TN DCS.
- Today — Still missing.
FAQ
Is Sebastian Rogers still missing?
Yes. As of October 2026, Sebastian Rogers has been missing for more than two and a half years. The investigation remains active with the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office, TBI, and FBI.
Was Sebastian Rogers ever found?
No. Despite one of the largest search efforts in Sumner County history, no trace of Sebastian has ever been found.
Why is Sebastian Rogers considered especially vulnerable?
He was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, severe combined-type ADHD, and a rare genetic disorder (6Q27 Chromosome Deletion Syndrome), required extensive daily support, and had never left home alone. Law enforcement has said his conditions may impair his ability to return home safely without assistance.
What was missing from the house?
Only a small yellow flashlight. His shoes, cellphone, Nintendo Switch, money, and clothing were all left behind.
Did Sebastian Rogers’ father sue the sheriff?
In July 2026, Seth Rogers filed two federal lawsuits against the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office and the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services, alleging failures before and after the disappearance. The suits are pending; the agencies have not been found liable.
How can I help?
Share this case file. Anyone with information should contact the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office at (615) 451-3838, the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI, or NCMEC at 1-800-843-5678.
Corrections (October 2026 verification pass)
- “Chief Deputy Eric Craddock” → Sheriff Eric Craddock. Craddock was appointed Sheriff in August 2024 after Sheriff Sonny Weatherford’s death (Sumner County Commission minutes, Aug 26, 2024). Text now notes the transition.
- “Born: ~2008” → December 7, 2008. Per the FBI kidnapping flyer.
Sources
- Official / law enforcement: FBI, “Sebastian Wayne Drake Rogers” kidnapping flyer ($50,000 reward) — 1-800-CALL-FBI; TBI Endangered Child Alert (Feb 2024) — 1-800-TBI-FIND; Sumner County Sheriff’s Office (615) 451-3838.
- News: WVLT, “‘They failed my son’: Sebastian Rogers’ dad sues sheriff, state agency” (Jul 16, 2026); WSMV (Mar 2024, Katie Proudfoot interview).
- Reference: CrimeTimelines, “Sebastian Wayne Drake Rogers Missing” (timeline, updated 2026); Coalition for the Murdered and Missing (case update Feb 2026).
Found an error? Tell us via the About page and we will fix it promptly and note the change here. Last verified October 2026.