Father of missing autistic boy Sebastian Rogers reveals search dogs picked up a scent to a construction site but it mysteriously vanished - as search enters its third week

The father of an autistic boy missing for two weeks fears his son may not have simply 'wandered off' after vanishing from his home.

Sebastian Rogers, 15, is believed to have left his family home in Hendersonville, Tennessee, with a flashlight in the early hours of February 26.

Police and volunteers spent the past two weeks searching nearby woods blasting Eye of the Tiger, which is Sebastian's favorite song.

Almost 100 miles north, Kentucky State Police searched a landfill in Hopkins County for clues, but came up empty.

Sebastian's father Seth Rogers said he was at his wits' end trying to work out what happened to his son with no leads that make sense.

Sebastian Rogers, 15, left his family house with a flashlight on February 26 and has since been missing

Sebastian's father Seth Rogers said he was at his wits' end trying to work out what happened to his son with no leads that make sense

He said Sebastian was not one to wander off, and due to an experience as a young boy would never go far without shoes on.

'He decided he wanted to step into a mound of what he thought was dirt. It was fire ants, and since then he doesn't like to get his feet in the dirt. He likes to have his shoes and socks on,' he told WTVF.

Rogers was also confused about why so little trace of his son could be found, saying there were 'missing pieces to the puzzle'.

'With the information that I've gotten from Sumner County and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the fact that dogs aren't 100 per cent they're not picking up his scent,' he said. 

'One dog tracked him to a construction area over there and it just disappeared, and it's confusing. There are missing pieces to the puzzle, and I'm having difficulty solving this.' 

Searches were scaled back last week, and Rogers hoped a tip-off to police would help track his boy down.

Rogers said Sebastian was not one to wander off, and due to an experience as a young boy would never go far without shoes on

Searches were scaled back last week, and Rogers hoped a tip-off to police would help track his boy down

The landfill police searched is believed to be where the trash from Sebastian's neighborhood went to on the day he went missing. 

Officials called the search of the landfill a 'precautionary measure to eliminate possible options and questions'.

'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,' they said.

Sebastian's mother and stepfather, Katie and Chris Proudfoot, last week said they felt overwhelming 'helpless and hopeless' grief.

The parents detailed the circumstances surrounding Sebastian's disappearance: 'Everything was pretty normal. He was playing in his room.

'When I told him to go to bed, he did. He said: 'Goodnight, mom. I love you.'

On March 7, deputies from the Sumner County Sheriff's Office and the Kentucky State Police begun searching a landfill in Hopkins County, Kentucky, in hopes of finding evidence

Police and volunteers spent the past two weeks searching nearby woods blasting Eye of the Tiger, which is Sebastian's favorite song 

Given how normal everything was, it came as a complete shock to Katie Proudfoot when she went to wake her son up for school and 'he wasn't there.'

They don't know what would have prompted their son to disappear into the woods in Hendersonville, Tennessee, which lies on the outskirts of Nashville.

The day before, Sebastian, who loves games and has been described as 'smart,' had been 'laughing' and 'joking.'

Sebastian's mother pointed out that it would make 'more sense if we'd been fighting'.

'He hadn't even been in trouble,' Sebastian's stepfather observed. 

Katie Proudfoot explained to the interviewer how about three minutes after she found Sebastian's bed empty, she knew something was wrong.

She called her husband, who was at work in Memphis, and told him that Sebastian wasn't in the house. The boy's mother searched for him everywhere, running 'all over the house, outside, inside.'

She looked for him in every closet.

Sebastian's mother and stepfather, Katie and Chris Proudfoot, said they felt overwhelming 'helpless and hopeless' grief following the disappearance of their 15-year-old son

His parents don't know what would have prompted Sebastian to disappear into the woods in Hendersonville, Tennessee, which lies on the outskirts of Nashville

They called the Sherriff's Office and made a report, and the authorities responded within minutes. She said: 'It was rapid fire. They had cars from here down to the [main] road.' 

An amber alert was issued, and state and local forces deployed helicopters, drones, boats, horses, and search-and-rescue dogs. 

Hundreds of trained professionals and volunteers descended en masse to look for Sebastian, combing through 2,000 miles of terrain on foot. 

Among the professionals, there were even mountain and cave experts.

At one point, a drone was rigged with a speaker that was playing 'Eye of the Tiger' on a loop. The Rocky theme is Sebastian's favorite song, and authorities were hoping the song might lure him out of the woods if he was hiding. 

Throughout their interview, Sebastian's parents continued to be resolutely optimistic, and a note of sincere hope underpinned their answers.

'He's gonna walk through that door, and the street will be flooded again with family and relatives all waiting to hug him and love him,' Sebastian's stepfather said.

After pausing for a moment, Sebastian's mother added: 'That boy's gonna have more friends than he knows what to do with when he comes home'