SUMNER COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) — Two weeks into the search for 15-year-old Sebastian Rogers, Sumner County residents are keeping him at the front of minds through his pictures and description.
As Sumner County residents drive through Shackle Island, Hendersonville, or Gallatin, they see Sebastian Rogers’ Missing Person posters placed in the grass. As they enter businesses, Sebastian’s face greets them at the door and counter.
“We took it upon ourselves to take a picture of it, display it on my Facebook page,” said Don Schmit, the Sumner County commissioner who oversees the 18th District. “We’ve encouraged people to just spread it through social media, and we’ve seen it in local businesses in here at District 18, s well as outside of this district, as well as Gallatin and Hendersonville.”
“Especially when they come up to this register, they notice, ‘Okay, here’s the poster about Sebastian,'” Legacy Coffee barista Julia Baker said. “Some lady wasn’t even aware that this was happening.”
According to Schmit, the posters were distributed to encourage community members to continue searching their properties for possible hiding spots that Sebastian could be in, like a barn or pool, and camera footage every morning and night.
“Keep it fresh in everyone’s minds,” Schmit said. “We don’t want Sebastian to take a back seat; we don’t want him to fall out of our memory or minds. Stay vigilant. Continue looking in the hiding spots, even as redundant as it sounds.”
After almost a full week of exhaustive search efforts by air, water, and land that included mounted patrols, K9 units, and ATVs, authorities moved the search to an investigation.
“Now that we’ve got their attention, they are watching the news, they are watching social media to spread the word and just continuously, just you know, until he is brought home,” Schmit said.
At last update, investigators searched a Kentucky landfill, but it did not give them any additional clues as to where Sebastian may be.
As the investigation continues, community members are printing and posting the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office’s fliers about Sebastian in local businesses and on social media outlets where the conversation continues.
“I couldn’t imagine having a son missing or like having a brother missing or anything like that,” Baker said. “And so it is so important that we are raising awareness because it is a missing person, and we just want him to come home safe. So I really think it is amazing that we are doing everything we can to put fliers up everywhere.”
