Hailey Buzbee, a 17-year-old girl with a beautiful face and a bright future, disappeared from her Fisher, Indiana, home on January 5, 2026. Her family instantly contacted the police, who classified the teenager as a runaway. As the Fisher Police Department began investigating, they found a clue. Tyler Thomas, whom she reportedly met while gaming online, picked her up the night she disappeared. Even though the 39-year-old man confessed to picking her up, he wasn’t quick to give up her current location. Nearly a month later, police say they found Hailey’s body and believe Thomas killed her.
During a February 1 news conference, Fisher Police Chief Ed Gebhart confirmed Hailey’s death and named Thomas as a suspect. Gebhart said police had evidence of Thomas’ car in Hailey’s neighborhood the night she disappeared.
“He admitted to picking Hailey up at her home. He told us that he dropped her off on the side of the road in western Ohio,” Gebhart said.
The chief explained that as police continued their investigation, they found Thomas’ story to be untrue. They searched his Ohio home and found evidence that Hailey had been there and that she had also been at a “short-term rental” in Hocking County, Ohio, with Thomas.
Gebhart said this wasn’t the outcome police wanted, but they will continue to support the Buzzbee family as they face every parent’s worst nightmare.
The Columbus Dispatch reported that investigators found Hailey’s body in Perry County, Ohio, and arrested Thomas. His attorney, Sam Shamansky, said his client led investigators to the teenager’s body. He expects homicide or murder charges to follow.
“We don’t want anybody conflating our cooperation with any admission of guilt relating to her cause of death,” Shamansky said.
Thomas is currently held on a $1.5 million bond and has no internet access and cannot be in contact with minors, per a judge’s order, The Columbus Dispatch reported.
In the aftermath of Hailey’s disappearance, Megan Tomlinson, the founder of the nonprofit organization Silver Lining of Hope, started an online petition to create a “pink alert” and “Hailey’s Law.” Tomlinson explained that when Hailey disappeared, she did not qualify for any statewide alert. A pink alert would send a message when a minor is “lured” by an adult.
“In today’s digital world, a predator doesn’t need a van or a public encounter — they only need a smartphone. Indiana’s current alert system leaves a dangerous gap when someone goes missing under suspicious, unusual or high-risk circumstances that don’t meet existing alert criteria. That gap can delay public awareness during the most critical early hours,” Tomlinson explained.
She added that all schools should mandate predator awareness education, so kids know what to look for.
“For decades, we’ve taught children ‘stranger danger’ and warned them not to accept candy from someone in a van. While those lessons still matter, they no longer reflect the most common threats. Today’s predators often pose as friends, peers, or mentors — reaching children through social media, gaming platforms, and online communities,” Tomlinson added. “Our laws, alerts, and education standards must reflect that reality.”
Tomlinson is definitely on to something here. As the world and technology evolve, so must our safety protocols and laws to protect vulnerable minors. We would be in full support of this kind of legislation to help keep sickos away from our kids.
