In Memory of Tony L. Mathis

One World
Apr 20
3 min read

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Joint Statement by AtNight Creative Intelligence & One World Society

Addressed to National Media, Federal and Local Agencies, and the General Public

FORT WORTH, TEXAS – April 20, 2026 —It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Tony L. Mathis, publicly identified in connection with this case as Seth R. Rogers’s spokesman, a steadfast advocate in the search for Sebastian Wayne Drake Rogers, and a man we came to regard as a brother.

Before anything else, we ask plainly, respectfully, and without exception that Tony’s family, friends, and loved ones be given privacy. Give them room to grieve. Give them room to breathe. Give them room to bury, remember, cry, pray, and hold one another without the noise of speculation, intrusion, or performance. Some moments do not belong to the crowd. This is one of them.

There is a question often asked of those who put themselves on the line for others: How do you do it? How do you willingly step into the fire when human instinct tells everyone else to run away?

When it comes to the agonizing, chaotic, and often cruel world of a missing child case, people wonder how anyone can bear that heat. There are losses measured in headlines, and there are others measured in an empty chair at the table, a voice you still expect to hear, and a weight that settles over a house. If you have ever loved a child, stood beside a friend when the world turned cruel, or stayed awake at night hoping for news that never came, then you understand Tony’s answer.

He was not made of distance. He was made of loyalty. He didn't run from the fire; he ran straight into it.

When Sebastian’s name risked being swallowed by the smoke and silence of time, Tony helped keep it in the light. He understood what too many people forget: when a child goes missing, the pain does not stop with that child. It reaches parents, families, friends, volunteers, and complete strangers whose conscience will not allow them to look away. Tony refused to look away.

He embodied the kind of decency people still recognize when they see it: grit, faithfulness, protectiveness, and a fierce love for his fellow man. He did not step into this fight because it was easy or safe. He stepped into it because he believed a missing child should never become background noise.

He endured criticism, harassment, and pressure—flames that would have driven almost anyone else from the field. But Tony stayed. When people came for him, he bore it. When they came for those he loved, he stood taller. Courage isn't the absence of fear or exhaustion; it is the absolute conviction that something else is more important. To Tony, Seth and Sebastian were more important. He gave them a voice, not because it was profitable or convenient, but because it was right.

This was never simply a role to him. It was a calling. He picked up weight other people dropped. He carried pain that was not originally his, and he carried it anyway. That is rare. That is honorable. That is the true measure of a man.

Because Sebastian remains publicly listed as a missing child, because the FBI continues to offer a reward for information, and because law enforcement has said the case remains active and ongoing, Tony’s voice may be gone, but the duty he embraced is not. The fire he fought to keep lit burns on.

To Tony’s family, to Seth R. Rogers, and to all who loved him, we extend our deepest condolences. We ask the public once more: respect their privacy. Leave room for grief. Remember that behind every public fight are private tears no camera will ever capture.

Tony L. Mathis will be remembered not only for what he said, but for the fact that he stayed. He showed up. He answered the call. He refused to let a child be forgotten. His watch is over, but for his courage and his brotherhood, he will forever be mourned, honored, and remembered.

Approved for Release by: One World Society Corp. (20 April 2026)