Found Deceased IN - Hailey Buzbee, 17, Fishers, 5 January 2026*arrest*

[friendlysleuther]

Grieving Indiana father calls for 'Hailey's Law' as police search for daughter's body Hailey Buzbee was last seen Jan. 5. Her father wants to create "Pink Alerts" for missing people and children that don't meet other alert standards.
Grieving Indiana father calls for 'Hailey's Law' as police search for daughter's body

"Today's predators often pose as friends, peers, or mentors—reaching children through social media, gaming platforms, and online communities. Our laws, alerts, and education standards must reflect that reality."


In announcing an arrest, police said Hailey met the man who allegedly took her through online gaming, though they did not specify which game.

The "Haileys Law" petition is here: change.org/Haileys-Law

At the time of writing this, the petition has 110,950 signatures.

The petition also links to a website with more information on "Hailey's Law"

 

[nerosleuth]

WBNS-TV in Columbus, Ohio reported on their newscast tonight that court records have revealed new details in the disappearance and death of Hailey Buzbee.

Court records revealed that the suspect communicated with Hailey Buzbee for more than a year by using online gaming platforms and also by using an encrypted messaging app called Session.

Court records also revealed that the suspect had a nude photo of an underage preteen girl on his phone.

Source:

Court records reveal new details in disappearance, death of Hailey Buzbee

Https://www.10tv.com/article/news/local/court-records-reveal-new-details-in-disappearance-death-hailey-buzbee-530-1222-f1bd-65cb-4e91-8518-f3946e527555

 

[Unalienable Rights]

The link in the previous post isn't working. Here is another link to the article:

Court records reveal new details in disappearance, death of Hailey Buzbee

According to a search warrant affidavit, Thomas admitted to communicating with Buzbee for over a year using online gaming platforms and an encrypted messaging app.

www.10tv.com

Two more articles:

https://fox59.com/news/indycrime/docs-hailey-buzbee-communicated-with-suspect-more-than-a-year-before-disappearance/

Search warrants reveal new details in missing teen Hailey Buzbee death investigation

Newly unsealed search warrants revealed new details into the investigation surrounding the tragic death of 17-year-old Hailey Buzbee.

abc6onyourside.com

 

[Purdue19]

Looks like Thomas has been charged federally.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2021294435812663500

 

[Purdue19]

Still no murder charges for Thomas. Traveled to Indiana to visit Buzbee in June 2025.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2021301029397020989

 

[LookingForClues]

How are we supposed to protect our kids (and grandkids, in my case) from this kind of sophisticated predatory behavior? Rhetorical question, I guess.

 

[truthfinder2019]

Why do we always need a tragedy before things are done ?

https://www.axios.com/local/indianapolis/2026/02/10/lawmakers-advance-alert-protections-teens-hailey-buzbee

I wasn’t personally aware of an app called Session

 

[imstilla.grandma]

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Thomas allegedly met Buzbee online playing video games, including Roblox and League of Legends. According to charging documents, Thomas traveled from Columbus to Indiana late Jan. 5 into Jan. 6 to pick up the victim and drive her back to Ohio, allegedly with the intent to engage in illicit sexual activity — specifically the production of child pornography.

Cell phone analysis allegedly reveals Thomas then traveled to an Airbnb in Logan, Ohio, on the afternoon of Jan. 6. At approximately 9:25 a.m., Jan. 7, Thomas’s phone data shows he traveled near the North Country Trail Trailhead in Wayne National Forest, where the victim’s remains were later located. The phone remained in that location until approximately 2:15 p.m.

During a forensic review of Thomas’s cell phone, agents allegedly identified deleted communications and interactions between Thomas and the victim, including messages on SnapChat and sexually explicit images in Thomas’s Columbus residence and the Airbnb.

Ohio man faces federal charges in teen’s disappearance

Tyler Thomas, the 39-year-old Ohio man arrested in January on charges related to the disappearance and death of 17-year-old Hailey Buzbee, now faces federal exploitation charges. In a federal criminal complaint that was unsealed following a Feb. 10 hearing, Thomas was charged with sexually explo

youarecurrent.com

 

[jeff2034]

Does anyone have the actual unsealed affidavits or search warrants that are referenced in the news links earlier in this thread or know where they can be viewed? I'm convinced there are others involved in this caseand that TT might not have even been the main perpetrator.

 

[truthfinder2019]

Quite some details here

https://eu.dispatch.com/story/news/courts/2026/02/10/tyler-thomas-hailey-buzbee-indiana-disappearance-death-fishers-columbus-ohio-hocking-county/88608425007/

 

[truthfinder2019]

Does anyone have the actual unsealed affidavits or search warrants that are referenced in the news links earlier in this thread or know where they can be viewed? I'm convinced there are others involved in this caseand that TT might not have even been the main perpetrator.

Case Information Online

Case Information Online

 

[nerosleuth]

Quite some details here

https://eu.dispatch.com/story/news/courts/2026/02/10/tyler-thomas-hailey-buzbee-indiana-disappearance-death-fishers-columbus-ohio-hocking-county/88608425007/

Here's a thought. It could be possible that TT may have communicated with and possibly traveled to meet with other underage minors as well.

 

[jeff2034]

Here's a thought. It could be possible that TT may have communicated with and possibly traveled to meet with other underage minors as well.

I agree - this is unlikely to be the first time he has met with underage girls. Hopefully, his phone and/or computer are a treasure trove of evidence.

 

[jeff2034]

Case Information Online

Case Information Online

Thanks for the links. Doesn't look like there are any documents related to this case on the Franklin County site yet.

 

[Mom of 3]

Quite some details here

https://eu.dispatch.com/story/news/courts/2026/02/10/tyler-thomas-hailey-buzbee-indiana-disappearance-death-fishers-columbus-ohio-hocking-county/88608425007/

Do you have a non-paywalled link?

 

[truthfinder2019]

Do you have a non-paywalled link?

Sorry I can access it without any paywall , strange

 

[nerosleuth]

Quite some details here

https://eu.dispatch.com/story/news/courts/2026/02/10/tyler-thomas-hailey-buzbee-indiana-disappearance-death-fishers-columbus-ohio-hocking-county/88608425007/

Here are some interesting details from the Columbus Dispatch newspaper article.

TT had allegedly met Buzbee on the messaging platform Discord.

TT had also used Session, Kik, Telegram on his cell phone that allowed encrypted messaging.

TT had also used Snapchat as well.

TT had installed Session, Kik, and Telegram on his phone but had deleted them before data was extracted from those apps.

Buzbee's family members were able to access her Snapchat account days after her disappearance.

After Buzbee's disappearance, her phone had either been turned off or put into airplane mode when police investigators attempted to ping her phone.

Photos and videos on TT's phone in a cached format showed Buzbee engaging in sexual acts with an adult male.

It was not revealed where TT is currently being held at now as he was moved from the Franklin County Jail to another jail facility that holds federal defendants awaiting trial.

 

[masquerading]

This case makes me feel sicker than usual because Hailey went missing from a neighborhood very close to my own. She has been my server at the local restaurant where she worked. There are pink ribbons and lights everywhere around here in honor of her life. I’ll be following, thanks to everyone who’s updating. Rest in peace, Hailey

 

[truthfinder2019]

The death of Hailey Buzbee, an Indiana teenager who police said was lured to Ohio by a 39-year-old Columbus man she met online, is prompting legislative change in her home state.

https://www.nbc4i.com/news/politics/hailey-buzbee-case-prompting-legislative-change-in-indiana/

It’s time to wake up America,” her grandfather said. “If it happened to Hailey, it can happen to anybody.”

https://fox59.com/news/indynews/fortville-community-rallies-behind-hailey-buzbees-family/

federal law prohibits creating sexual visual depictions of anyone under age 18, regardless of specific state age-of-consent laws

The legal proceedings against Thomas are expected to be lengthy. Myers said that cases of this nature can take many months or even more than two years to resolve, depending on whether the defendant chooses to proceed to a trial or enter a guilty plea. “Most federal cases result in guilty pleas and even the extremely serious ones like this,” Myers said. “But ultimately, that’s the decision of the defendant.”

WISH-TV legal expert talks about federal charges for suspect in Hailey Buzbee case

Federal charges filed against Tyler Thomas in the case of 17-year-old Hailey Buzbee. State charges dropped as federal court takes over.

www.wishtv.com

WTHR documentary