Ohio Man Indicted in Connection with Missing Indiana Teen’s Death
An Ohio man, linked to the tragic death of missing Indiana teenager Haley Buzbee, reportedly exchanged unsettling messages and images with her a year before her abduction. He later helped authorities locate where her dismembered body was buried, according to federal prosecutors.
Tyler Thomas, 39, faced federal exploitation charges on Tuesday for allegedly taking a 17-year-old girl across state lines to his Ohio home and performing a sexual act on her before she died, as stated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio.
Buzbee was last seen near her residence in Fishers, Indiana, on January 5, and her body was discovered in a remote area of woods in Ohio on February 2.
At this point, officials have not yet filed charges in connection with her death.
U.S. Attorney Dominic S. Jealous II emphasized that the filing of these federal charges does not conclude the investigation. He noted that prosecutors will continue to collaborate with various law enforcement agencies to gather evidence in the search for justice for Buzbee and her family.
Prosecutors allege that Thomas met Buzbee while playing games on Discord and had planned to elope with her after a year of sexually explicit conversations online. He drove nearly 260 miles overnight from Columbus, Ohio, to Fortville, Indiana, on January 6 to pick her up.
Phone data indicated that Thomas captured Buzbee at her home and the following morning was traced to a location near the North County Trail in Wayne National Forest, where her dismembered body was later found, according to court documents.
Additionally, investigators claimed that Thomas deleted explicit Snapchat messages and photos of Buzbee from his phone, which contained evidence like bloodstains. A search of his home also uncovered other disturbing materials, including lewd images of a girl estimated to be around ten years old and inappropriate conversations with another teen.
In one of the messages, Thomas allegedly questioned, “Do babies carve parts of their bodies?” and remarked on the girl’s appearance, saying, “You look great in red.”
During a police interview on January 21, Thomas expressed his belief that Buzbee was “alive and safe,” while denying any involvement in her death. He coldly stated, “No, I won’t” when questioned about killing her.
On January 31, he was charged with pandering sexual content involving a minor and tampering with evidence.
Two days later, Thomas led authorities to the exact location where Buzbee’s body had been buried beneath frozen ground, according to prosecutors.
As the federal case moves forward, state charges against Thomas are expected to be dropped. He is currently being held in Franklin County Jail on a cash bail of $1.5 million.
