Court documents obtained by FOX59/CBS4 reveal new details in the disappearance and death of 17-year-old Hailey Buzbee from Fishers, Indiana. Tyler Thomas, 39, of Columbus, Ohio, admitted to communicating with Buzbee for over a year before her disappearance, using the encrypted messaging app Session and an online gaming platform, according to court papers filed in Franklin County.
The documents indicated that Thomas, after being picked up by law enforcement outside his Columbus home on Jan. 21, allegedly led officers to Buzbee's remains. It was suggested by the documents that Thomas had driven Buzbee from Fishers to a cabin in Logan, Ohio, on Jan. 6. Despite his assertion that he was alone, the rental records show that the reservation was made for "two guests," FOX59/CBS4 reported.
Buzbee, initially listed as an endangered missing juvenile, was found dead after Thomas allegedly revealed her location in Perry County. A source told FOX59/CBS4 that she had been dismembered. Court documents and a Hocking County search warrant show a crime occurred at a short-term rental, where investigators recovered devices containing child sexual abuse material of Buzbee. Prosecutors say Thomas tried to delete the material from the devices.
According to WTHR, Thomas admitted using the encrypted app Session to plan Buzbee’s departure and transport from Indiana to Ohio. He told detectives that Session requires a specific code to access messages, and deleting it would prevent law enforcement from viewing them. WRTV reported that Thomas also claimed to have dropped Buzbee near the Indiana–Ohio border, contradicting evidence from his phone and vehicle.
Investigators searched Thomas’s black 2013 Acura RDC for trace evidence, including the victim’s belongings. Court documents show he faces charges of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor and tampering with evidence. He has not yet been charged with murder, though his attorney says it is likely in Hocking County. In Buzbee’s memory, Hamilton County illuminated its courthouse pink in February. Commissioner President Christine Altman said, ‘Hamilton County stands resolute in its commitment to the safety of all our communities,’ FOX59/CBS4 reported.
