Tennessee Amber Alert: Search for missing Sumner teen shifts to Kentucky landfill

The search for a missing Sumner County autistic teenager at the center of a statewide Amber alert moved to a Kentucky landfill Thursday.

The news comes just days after Sumner officials announced they’d be scaling back search efforts for 15-year-old Sebastian Wayne Drake Rogers to focus on the investigation into his disappearance.

More: Tennessee Amber Alert: Sumner officials scale back search for missing boy as parents speak

“Investigators with the Sumner Co Sheriff’s Office, assisted by Kentucky State Police, are searching the landfill in Kentucky, where trash went from Sebastian’s neighborhood,” Sumner County Chief Deputy Eric Craddock said.

“There is no specific information that indicates evidence related to the search for Sebastian may be there; rather it is an investigative, precautionary measure to eliminate possible options and questions.”

More: Tennessee Amber Alert: ‘No confirmed sightings,’ leads as community prays for missing boy

Sumner County officials announced Monday they were scaling back the search efforts. Sebastian was reported missing from his Hendersonville home on Feb. 26, and hundreds of people from across Tennessee have joined in the effort to find him.

“We’ve conducted an extensive and exhaustive search around the home, looking for any evidence, any trace of Sebastian,” Sumner County Sheriff Chief Deputy Eric Craddock said Monday. He stressed that the decision to scale back search efforts does not diminish his department’s commitment to finding the missing boy.

“We have no leads, no details to indicate that Sebastian is not alive,” he said at the time.

More: Tennessee Amber Alert: Few leads in search for missing Sumner County teen

Anyone with information on Sebastian’s whereabouts is encouraged to contact Sumner County Sheriff’s Office Detective Carter at 615-442-1865 or bcarter@sumnersheriff.com.

Tips can be provided to Sumner County Emergency Communications at 615-451-3838 or 1-800-TBI-FIND.

Katie Nixon can be reached at knixon@gannett.com.