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Police have ruled out a photo thought to be of a missing autistic Tennessee teenager in North Carolina, dashing renewed hope he could be found after two months without a sign of him.
Sebastian Rogers, 13, was last seen the night of 25 February in Hendersonville, Tennessee, but a recent photo appeared to show him at an underpass in North Carolina.
His paternal father, Seth Rogers, said on Monday that he was convinced that photo was of his son, who disappeared from his mother and stepfather’s home. Police, however, said on Tuesday that it was not Sebastian.
“I would surely hope that the FBI would take the lead. Because I believe that is my son, and he is across state lines. I would really truly appreciate it if the FBI did take the lead,” Mr Rogers told NewsNation on Monday.
The FBI previously told The Independent in early April that it was assisting with the search.
Sebastian vanished from his mother Katie Proudfoot’s home overnight on 25 February, while her husband Chris Proudfoot was away working. She went to wake her son up for school the following morning and found his bedroom empty.
There has been no sign of the boy since, despite extensive searches across the local area by the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), as well as volunteers.
The leading theory has been that Sebastian left of his own accord, without his shoes, in the middle of the night. His mother claimed she believed he had been taken by someone.
SCSO has said that it does not suspect foul play, but that it also has not ruled anything out.
The photo of a boy who looked very similar to Sebastian, with his head down, began circulating on social media in recent days.
The image appeared to offer hope to both Sebastian’s family and those online who have become invested in the case.
On Tuesday, SCSO put a stop to the speculation, saying that the image was not of Sebastian, after working with North Carolina agencies to check.
“We understand the gravity of the situation and the concerns it has raised,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “Our collaborative efforts with law enforcement agencies continue unabated as we remain committed to finding Sebastian.”
His father has hired a private investigator to help with the search, after weeks without updates from law enforcement.
The last comment from TBI was on 25 April, as the investigation reached the two month mark.
“To date, there have been no confirmed sightings of Sebastian since the issuance of the [Amber] Alert,” the update read. “TBI special agents continue to review the information gathered since the investigation began, follow up on all leads or tips that come in, and work with counterparts from other law enforcement agencies to review strategies and consider options.”
The Independent has approached Sumner County Sheriff’s Office for further comment but is yet to receive a response.
