Overview
- Fishers Police announced they have strong evidence that 17-year-old Hailey Buzbee is deceased and have shifted to a recovery operation, with her remains still undiscovered.
- Authorities identified 39-year-old Tyler Thomas of Columbus as a suspect and arrested him in Ohio on charges of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor and tampering with evidence.
- Investigators say evidence confirms Buzbee was at Thomas’s Columbus home and at a short-term rental in Hocking County, where searches have used drones, canines, and ground teams.
- Police traced an unknown vehicle seen near Buzbee’s home the night she left, and they say Thomas’s initial claim that he dropped her on a roadside was disproven by subsequent evidence.
- Officials believe Buzbee and Thomas connected through online gaming, and the multi-agency probe involving Fishers Police, Indiana State Police, the FBI, and Ohio authorities remains active.