FISHERS INDIANA, The body of a missing Fishers, Indiana teenage girl who was allegedly lured away from her family home by a 39-year-old man she met online was recovered in Perry County, Ohio over the weekend.
Hailey Buzbee, 17, had been reported missing by her parents on January 6. Investigators later linked 39-year-old Columbus, Ohio man Tyler Thomas to the teen’s disappearance after authorities believe she was kidnapped.
Thomas, who led investigators to the location where the teen’s body was found, had not yet been formally charged with murder or kidnapping at the time of the discovery, though homicide-related charges are anticipated, according to reports.
Buzbee was a student at Hamilton Southeastern High School and was in her junior year. Her family previously said she earned good grades and worked part-time as a server at a local restaurant.
A January 20 press release from the Fishers Police Department stated the teen was considered an endangered missing juvenile who had run away from home on January 5 at around 10 p.m.
Police identified an unknown vehicle in Buzbee’s neighborhood the night she disappeared, which eventually led investigators to Thomas in Columbus. Authorities said Thomas admitted picking up Buzbee but claimed he later dropped her off on the side of the road, an account investigators say was contradicted by evidence.
Investigators said Buzbee and Thomas met through online gaming, and evidence indicated they may have stayed at a rental property together shortly after her disappearance.
Fishers Police Chief Ed Gebhart said evidence and statements made by Thomas led authorities to believe the teen was deceased.
“Because of evidence obtained and the statements made by the suspect, the investigation has now moved to recovery efforts,” Gebhart said during a Sunday press conference, hours before her body was located.
Court records state that a search warrant executed January 21 at a Columbus residence uncovered child sexual abuse material on Thomas’ electronic devices. The material reportedly included images and a video of Buzbee found in deleted cache files.
Authorities also said Thomas’ phone contained sexually oriented videos and photos of Buzbee, some of which he allegedly attempted to delete.
During a February 1 press conference, police confirmed they believed Buzbee died shortly after her January 5 disappearance.
After speaking with his legal team, Thomas accompanied law enforcement to Perry County on Sunday to help locate the teen. Authorities, along with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, recovered her body later that evening.
The cause and manner of death remain pending the results of an autopsy.
Thomas remains held in the Franklin County Jail on a $1.5 million cash surety bond. His next court date is scheduled for Tuesday, February 10.
