The discovery of Hailey Buzbee’s remains in rural Ohio ended the desperate hope that she might still be alive, but it did not end the questions. Investigators say 39-year-old Tyler Thomas admitted picking her up from her Fishers, Indiana home after they connected on an online gaming platform, then directed deputies to a remote site in Perry County where her remains were recovered and sent for identification.
Thomas now sits in an Ohio jail on charges of tampering with evidence and pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor, including alleged images and video of Hailey on his phone. Yet, despite the horror implied in those details, he has not been charged with murder. As detectives quietly build their case, Hailey’s family and community cling to each other, forced to grieve a bright, promising life stolen before justice has even been named.