About 25 family members, friends and volunteers gathered at the New Haven police substation at city hall on Sunday to assist in the search of a Middletown teen with Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism.

Nathan Carman, 17, has been missing since Thursday when he left his Middletown home at 7 a.m. to go fishing in Westbrook.

Nathan's father Clark Carman was among the volunteers who handed out fliers to pedestrians and businesses hoping to find his son.

"He has had some recent traumatic problems with the loss of his horse, which he's still grieving and he's not gotten over that," said Clark Carman as he choked back tears.

The FBI has been called in and will be analyzing Nathan's computer for clues said a search organizer.

Clark Carman said Nathan would always leave him a note saying where he was going and when he would be back, "He's very responsible," Carman stated.

Nathan is not violent, police said. Anyone who comes across him is asked to calmly speak with him but not touch him because it would cause him to shut down.

Nathan is 6-foot, 3-inches, 150 pounds, with short light brown hair, brown eyes and no facial hair. He has a scar on his left elbow.

Police released a picture of the teen who was last seen in New Haven around 2:15 p.m. Thursday on surveillance video.

He was seen walking between Temple and Chapel Streets wearing khaki pants, a long sleeve button down shirt and had a black backpack.

Anyone with information on Nathan's whereabouts is urged to contact the Middletown Police Department at 860-347-2541.

