Inset, left to right: Tyler N. Thomas (Franklin County Jail) and Hailey Buzbee (Fishers Police Dept.). Background: The area in Indiana where Buzbee lived and was last seen alive (Google Maps).
An Indiana high school student, just 17 years old, who vanished earlier this month is feared dead after reportedly leaving with a 39-year-old man she connected with via an online gaming site.
Authorities have arrested Tyler N. Thomas from Ohio, charging him with evidence tampering and distributing sexually explicit material involving a minor, all linked to the disappearance of Hailey Buzbee.
In a Sunday afternoon news update, Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness revealed that detectives, following an “extensive investigation,” now suspect that Hailey Buzbee is no longer alive. This information was shared during a news briefing.
Fishers Police Chief Ed Gebhart recounted how officers were alerted on the morning of January 6 when Buzbee’s family reported her absence from their home in the Enclave at Vermillion neighborhood. The police launched an immediate search to determine her location.
“In our investigation, we identified an unknown vehicle present in Hailey’s neighborhood the night she disappeared,” Chief Gebhart explained. “Leveraging technology, detectives pinpointed Thomas as the individual she left with. Upon contacting him in Ohio, Thomas initially confessed to picking Hailey up and claimed to have dropped her off on a roadside in western Ohio. Nevertheless, further probing revealed his account to be false.”
Investigators now believe that Buzbee and Thomas first initiated contact through an online gaming platform, according to Gebhart.
After further investigation, the Columbus, Ohio, Police Department’s homicide unit assisted in executing search warrants on Thomas’ home and the vehicle he used to pick up Buzbee. The evidence collected through the warrants apparently showed that Buzbee had been in Thomas’ home as well as a short-term rental unit in Hocking County, Ohio.
Buzbee’s body had not been discovered as of Monday morning, but Gebhart said the investigation had become a “recovery only” operation.
The evidence eventually led investigators to the conclusion that Buzbee died within a few days of being picked up by Thomas. Though Thomas has not been charged with murder, police confirmed that the current charges against him in Franklin County, Ohio, stem from his alleged role in Buzbee’s disappearance and presumed death.
Thomas is scheduled to make his initial appearance in court on Monday.
According to the criminal complaint, police conducting a forensic review of Thomas’ cellphone allegedly discovered a “cache of photos” on the device showing he had picked up an out-of-state minor — namely, Buzbee — whom he then filmed “performing a sexual act” on him. The video was discovered in a file that police say Thomas had attempted to delete.
In a Facebook post, Buzbee’s parents described her as a “smart, beautiful, kind, and caring young lady with a bright future.”
“Our family is devastated,” they wrote in a Facebook post. “We want the community and others to know that we are so thankful for the support we received. It’s been tremendous and gave us the hope and strength we needed during our darkest hours. Please continue to keep our family in your thoughts and prayers as we move forward and thank you for all the love you have shown our precious Hailey.”
A GoFundMe for Buzbee had raised more than $35,000 as of Monday.
