A 16-year-old girl who vanished from a transitional living facility in Columbus in December surfaced 263 days later inside the Springfield, Ohio home of her former high school science teacher, according to authorities who charged the man with interference with custody after a multi-agency search located her there. Rayina Lynn Haddox had been missing since walking away from a transitional living facility in Columbus on December 2, 2025, wearing a gray zip-up hoodie and black leggings, according to missing-person records cited by Akron News4.
Jobe Binkley, 48, was charged after officers and a U.S. Marshals Service officer went to his Springfield residence on August 21, 2026, according to Tampa Free Press. Binkley reportedly called for Haddox to come out and acknowledged that she was inside, the report said. The account also said police had previously checked the residence twice and that Binkley denied entry and said Haddox was not there after officers told him she was missing.
Charges Filed, Not Guilty Plea Entered
A criminal complaint charging Binkley with one count of interference with custody, a first-degree misdemeanor, was filed in Clark County Municipal Court, the station's report notes. The charge cites Ohio Revised Code § 2919.23(A)(1). Binkley pleaded not guilty and was released on bond, with a pre-trial hearing set for September 30, per the same account.
Under Ohio law, interference with custody occurs when someone knowingly or recklessly takes, keeps, or harbors a minor without privilege from a parent, guardian, or legal custodian, according to the Ohio Revised Code. The statute classifies the ordinary violation as a first-degree misdemeanor. The statute also includes an affirmative defense for someone who, in good faith, notifies law enforcement or judicial authorities within a reasonable time after a minor comes under their shelter — a provision notable given that Binkley had previously denied officers entry and claimed the girl was not present when police inquired, per the Ohio Revised Code.
Ohio missing-child context
Statewide figures provide context but do not establish a connection to Haddox's case. According to WHIO TV 7 and WHIO Radio, 19,930 people were reported missing in Ohio in 2025, including 15,367 children; 97.8% of the children were recovered safely by the end of the year. The 2025 Ohio Missing Children Clearinghouse Report, as summarized by Cleveland.com, recorded 7,656 runaway-child cases, 22 abductions by noncustodial parents and two stranger abductions. Those aggregate figures do not identify the circumstances of Haddox's disappearance.
Ohio Revised Code § 2901.30 requires law enforcement, after a missing-child report is filed, to make a reasonable attempt to notify other law enforcement agencies in the county and permits officials to seek help from additional agencies. The available guidance cited here does not establish separate procedures for the transitional living facility in Haddox's case. Montgomery County Children Services lists teachers and school officials among Ohio's mandated reporters of suspected child abuse and neglect, but that general duty does not establish what Binkley knew or did.
Grand Jury Could Bring Felony Charges
The available reports do not establish whether any additional charges have been filed or whether prosecutors are seeking a felony indictment.
The recovery effort involved a law enforcement officer working with the U.S. Marshals Service, according to Tampa Free Press. Haddox had been missing since leaving the Columbus facility in December, and authorities and family members searched for her before she was located at Binkley's home.
Fired Teacher, Unresolved Questions
Binkley previously worked for the Springfield City School District. He was placed on administrative leave in November 2024 and again in January 2025 before being fired in February 2025 for violating district technology policies, according to Dayton News. The district had cited concerns about his interactions with students, but those claims were deemed unsubstantiated at the time, the report said. School officials said they did not learn of the allegations involving Haddox until after Binkley's employment ended. It remains unclear how Binkley and Haddox met or whether he taught her in class.
Danielle Flint, who lives two doors from Binkley's home, told Dayton News that neighborhood rumors had circulated about a teenager being inside the house. Flint said she had never seen Haddox outside.
Haddox has been found after 263 days, while questions about how she came to be at Binkley's home and what occurred there remain unresolved as the case proceeds toward the September 30 pretrial hearing.
