Sebastian Rogers update: Parents confronted over decision to leave home as teen remains missing

During their recent appearance on Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, Sebastian’s mother and stepfather, Katie and Chris Proudfoot, were asked about their lack of emotion in some interviews.

The host said with all that had happened, she could understand that they may be feeling “numb”, but asked the couple why they looked away when responding to questions.

“To the fact of not looking at the camera all the time, it’s because a picture of my son is sitting right beside me and, honestly, I am looking at him,” Ms Proudfoot said.

In its latest update on Friday 22 March, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation addressed frustrations expressed by some after they scaled back their search.

“Much of the work being done to track down information about where Sebastian may have gone is not something you will necessarily see in the public. But we want you to know that every day, work is being done to find Sebastian,” the TBI said in a press release.

The Bureau said it was following up on any tips it received on the case and urged locals to keep on checking their land for signs of the boy.

According to multiple reports, search dogs have not been able to pick up Sebastian’s scent in searches outside his home.

“So looking at what the K-9s were able to pick up, those K-9s should be picking up multiple scents and it’s all based on Seabstian’s routine activities,” Geographic profiler Douglas MacGregor told Crime Stories with Nancy Grace.

“Does he go to a friend’s house during the week? Does he go to the corner store? Does he occasionally walk to school? Even taking the bus, those K-9s should be picking up all those scents from seven days past,” he said.

The analysis adds to the confusion and unanswered questions surrounding Sebastian’s disappearance overnight on the 25 February.

Seth Rogers got emotional as he spoke of spending weeks searching for Sebastian Rogers, following his disappearance on 26 February.

Sebastian is reported to have left his home in Hendersonville, Tennessee, without any shoes on, something his father and autism experts say is highly unusual.

“Three pairs of shoes were at the front door,” his dad Seth Rogers told Crime Stories with Nancy Grace, with the host asking if it was possible he was wearing a different pair.

“His feet were growing. The last weekend I had him, his mom told me his shoes weren’t fitting him anymore and she asked me to get him shoes.”

Mr Rogers said he bought his son a pair of boots – which were then by Katie Proudfoot’s front door. The dad said that other shoes, which no longer fit his son, would have been thrown out.

The only other pair of shoes Sebastian owns is some slippers, which he uses to take out the trash.

Nancy Grace said she was asking about a detail like this because Sebastian’s routine showed that the circumstances around his disappearance were out of the ordinary.

An autism expert has explained that Sebastian’s special needs would likely be affecting him greatly.

Speaking to Nancy Grace, Courtney Lasky from Little Stars Therapy said that children typically have deficits with communication and social skills.

“If, in fact, he is with someone else who does not know him well, that would be entirely out of his routine, he could be engaging in behaviours which he has not engaged in before, he could be looking for an escape, a way to get out of those adverse situations,” Ms Lasky said.

She added that not every autistic child will wander, but that 36% of those who do are doing so to get away from a stressful or difficult situation.

Katie Proudfoot was quizzed on Crime Stories with Nancy Grace about accusations she has not shown much emotion about her missing son:

Seth Rogers, Sebastian’s father, has said that his son had not taken his phone with him when he vanished.

Mr Rogers said that whenever the 15-year-old had access to his phone, he would enjoy watching videos of people playing Minecraft.

However, he also added that he did not have access to the internet, or social media, on the device.

It’s a month since the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation posted this to its X account, announcing that an Amber Alert had been issued for Sebastian Rogers.

In a recent interview, Sebastian’s father Seth Rogers was asked about his son’s autism.

“He’s very intelligent, he’s very smart, he just lacks social skills and reading other people’s body language,” Mr Rogers told Crime Stories with Nancy Grace.

The host said she was looking at a photo of Sebastian and that it was breaking her heart, thinking of the young, autistic boy being out in the world on his own.

“I don’t know [how he would react], because I’ve never seen him have to deal with this,” Mr Rogers said. “Most of the time, if he’s with me, he gets his information with me about interacting with people.”