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Authorities in Fishers say they now believe 17-year-old Hailey Buzbee is deceased, a turning point that comes nearly a month after she vanished from her home and set off a widening, multi-agency investigation spanning two states.
At a Sunday press conference, investigators said the case has moved from a missing-person search to what police described as “recovery only,” and that her body has not yet been located.
A 39-year-old Ohio man, Tyler Thomas, is in custody in Columbus and facing felony charges that police have said are not, at least for now, directly tied to Buzbee’s disappearance.
A Timeline That Tightened Quickly
Buzbee was last seen on January 5, according to law enforcement bulletins and police updates.
Investigators said they believe she left her house late January 5 or in the early hours of January 6, and early reporting treated the situation as a runaway case.
By mid-January, public concern had swelled across central Indiana, including community-organized efforts to circulate flyers and tips.
That public search, police said, ran alongside an investigation that was steadily narrowing in on a vehicle and a person outside Indiana.
How Investigators Say They Identified a Suspect
According to WRTV, the Fishers Police Department said officers were called to the family home on January 6 after relatives reported Buzbee had left overnight. Investigators then identified an “unknown vehicle” that had been in the neighborhood around the time she went missing and used it to work toward a suspect.
Police said the suspect acknowledged picking her up, but that his initial account, including a claim that he dropped her on the side of the road, did not hold up against evidence investigators later obtained.
Authorities also said Buzbee and the suspect met through online gaming, an element that has sharpened the warning from investigators about how quickly online relationships can move from screens into the real world.
Evidence in Ohio, and a Search That Has Not Yet Found Her
Investigators say the inquiry led them to Hocking County and to the suspect’s residence in Columbus.
WRTV reported that an investigation found evidence confirming Buzbee had been at the suspect’s home in Columbus and at a short-term rental property in Hocking County. Police said partners in Ohio searched both the home and the vehicle believed to have been used to pick her up.
Reporting from ABC 6 On Your Side also said authorities conducted a large search in Hocking County that included drones and K9 units but had not located her body.
Why Police Say They Believe She Is Dead
Investigators have not publicly laid out every piece of evidence behind the conclusion that Buzbee is deceased. They have said the determination was based on evidence gathered and statements attributed to the suspect.
In the Columbus coverage, ABC 6 reported that court records it reviewed allege the existence of a sexually explicit video involving a minor that was created at the suspect’s home, and that the suspect tried to delete it from his phone.
Authorities have emphasized that the investigation is still active, and that the focus is now recovery.
Charges Filed, and What Is Still Unresolved
Thomas is being held in Ohio and, according to ABC 6, faces felony charges including pandering obscenity and tampering with evidence. WRTV similarly reported that the suspect was in custody on charges unrelated to Buzbee’s disappearance, and that an initial court date was scheduled in Ohio.
Police have also stressed a key legal reality: he has not been charged in connection with her disappearance at this time.
The case is being worked with assistance from Indiana State Police and the FBI, along with Ohio agencies that include the Columbus Division of Police and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, according to WRTV and ABC 6.
At the press conference, Scott Fadness addressed the community’s grief and urged support for the family as the investigation continues.
For now, the central fact remains unchanged and unresolved: investigators say they know where Buzbee was after she left Indiana, and they say they believe she died only days later, but they have not yet brought her home.
