Man continues search for missing son

By Diane Spoor
Staff Reporter

Adrian Whitehead has been searching for more than two weeks, with no sign of his son.

Twenty-year-old Carter Rodgers has been missing since Feb. 14, after leaving Devon, Alta., to meet someone in Rocky Mountain House.

Whitehead said from what he understands, his son, Carter Rodgers, met a person online and they had arranged to meet. Originally, the plan was to meet in Red Deer but then the woman changed the location to Rocky.

Whitehead said at this point the story gets a little mixed up as it seems Rodgers was then directed to the Sunchild First Nation.

Whitehead said he finds the entire situation very strange as it is out of character for Rodgers to meet up with someone he met online.

Rodgers then ended up on an oil lease road and got his vehicle stuck in a ditch. He called his mom and told her he was stuck. And that was the last anyone has heard from him. He was seen on an oil lease camera, about 300 metres from where his car hit the ditch, on Feb. 14, but that is the last time he was seen. His car was found the following day, burnt out, on an oil lease site on O’Chiese First Nation, 16.7 kilometres from where he hit the ditch.
Whitehead describes his son as “a pretty shy guy who likes to play video games and keeps in touch with his friends.”

Rodgers had been living with his mom in Devon after spending the previous two years living with his dad in Montreal. Whitehead said he has always told his son to be careful, particularly online. He said he used to have his son’s location on his phone but Rodgers had turned it off after he moved back to Devon.

Whitehead said there has been no data usage on his phone since his disappearance, and he added that the police have looked into his banking activity. 

Whitehead said he and other members of his family who have travelled out here have been doing searches of the area every day. He says they have covered a lot of area, and have used drones as well, but so far there is still no sign of Rodgers.

Whitehead said two vehicles that have come to his attention as suspicious are a white Mitsubishi Outlander and a 2018 blue Chevrolet Cruz.

Carter Rodgers is described as mixed aboriginal, medium complexion, black hair, brown eyes, five feet two inches tall, and 160 lbs. He was last seen wearing a Metal Mulisha toque, white tank top, and black and white dress shirt. The vehicle he was travelling in was a 2025 blue Honda Civic.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Rocky Mountain House RCMP at 403-845-2881 or Crimestoppers.