The body of an Indiana teen who disappeared for nearly a month after she met a stranger online has been found.
Hailey Buzbee, 17, vanished on January 5 and was allegedly picked up by 39-year-old Tyler Thomas, a man she had met through an online gaming platform.
Thomas was arrested and booked on Saturday and faces charges for distributing sexually explicit material involving a minor and tampering with evidence, per the police.
In a hearing Monday morning, Thomas’ attorney confirmed that Buzbee’s body was recovered in his home state, Ohio.
‘We accompanied law enforcement and FBI to Perry County and we assisted with pinpointing the location of Miss Buzbee,’ Defense Attorney Sam Shamansky said in a press conference.
Thomas appeared remotely in the courtroom where a judge set his cash bond at $1.5 million.
Shamansky added that his client has ‘absolutely zero intention of making this bond’ and was handed ‘into authorities on Saturday, per the request of’ local police.
The attorney said the legal team worked with the FBI on Friday and met Saturday at Thomas’ request to ‘fully cooperate with bringing closure’ to Buzbee’s family ‘as quickly as possible.’
Hailey Buzbee, 17, of Fishers, Indiana, has been missing for nearly a month after she met up with a stranger from an online gaming platform
Early reports believed that the teen was a runaway, but further investigation revealed that allegedly was picked up by Tyler Thomas
‘At our client’s insistence, we assisted law enforcement Saturday afternoon and later Sunday, and that goal has now been met of bringing complete closure, at least with respect to this stage of the investigation,’ Shamansky said in the conference.
The defense attorney believes additional charges, including homicide, may be filed against Thomas, but says he plans to plead not guilty and maintains he did not kill Buzbee.
‘We don’t want anybody conflating our cooperation with any admission of guilt relating to her cause of death,’ the attorney added.
Early reports labeled the teen a runaway, but police later said she left deliberately and was in danger.
Police tracked a vehicle in her neighborhood and linked it to Thomas, who admitted to picking up the teen according to court documents seen by Daily Mail.
Thomas’ devices contained child sexual abuse material and he tried to delete videos of the teen, per the affidavit.
Police also focused on properties connected to him as drones and K9 units assisted in the month-long search.
Search teams scoured a Hocking County rental, acting on evidence suggesting Buzbee and Thomas had been there together.
Thomas is scheduled to reappear in court on Tuesday, February 10.
Buzbee is remembered as ‘smart, funny, and beautiful inside and out,’ according to a GoFundMe set up for her.
Police found evidence on Thomas’ phone of sexually explicit photos of the teen, that he allegedly tried to erase
Tyler Thomas, 39, appearing remotely in a courtroom on Monday, he currently faces charges for distributing sexually explicit material involving a minor and tampering with evidence
Thomas was set on a $1.5 million bail, and he is scheduled to reappear in court on Tuesday, February 10 as his attorney continues to defend his innocence
‘Everyone who knows Hailey will tell you she is the kindest, sweetest girl, and her beautiful smile can light up anyone’s day.’
More tributes poured in for the teen, with Buzbee’s father, Beau, writing a memorial post on Facebook.
‘Hailey was a smart, beautiful, kind, and caring young lady with a bright future. She had a deep love for her family and holds a very special place in so many hearts,’ it read.
‘Our family is devastated. We want the community and others to know that we are so thankful for the support we received.
‘It’s been tremendous and gave us the hope and strength we needed during our darkest hours.’
