Tyler Thomas charged with murder and dismemberment of Hailey Busby
24 september 2026 в 12:02
39-year-old Tyler Thomas from Columbus, Ohio, has been charged with federal crimes related to the murder and dismemberment of 17-year-old Hailey Buzbee, who went missing in Indiana earlier this year. The indictment was filed on September 23, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio.
Thomas faces nine federal charges, including kidnapping resulting in death, as well as charges of intent to engage in illegal sexual activity with a minor, which also resulted in death, transporting a minor for the purpose of committing criminal sexual activity, sexual exploitation, attempted enticement of a minor, obstruction of justice, and accessing digital materials with the intent to view child pornography. Prosecutor Dominic C. Gerace II noted that his office has been working closely with law enforcement at the federal, state, and local levels for the past eight months to seek justice for Hailey and her family.
According to court documents, Thomas met Buzbee through online games such as Roblox and League of Legends. Since May 2024, when Buzbee was 15 years old, he allegedly attempted to lure her into sexual acts. Hailey went missing from her home in Fishers, Indiana, on January 5. During the investigation, it was established that Thomas traveled from Columbus to Indiana to pick up Buzbee and then returned with her to Ohio, where he took her to an Airbnb in Logan with the intent to engage in illegal sexual activity.
Prosecutors stated that at some point, Thomas allegedly killed Buzbee, after which he dismembered and buried her body. Hailey’s remains were found along the North Trail in the Wayne National Forest, located in southeastern Ohio. Thomas was first arrested in January by local authorities and was then arrested on federal charges in February.
During a search of Thomas’s phone, deleted messages and interactions between him and Buzbee were discovered, including their conversations on Snapchat and explicit photos of Hailey, allegedly taken in his home in Columbus and at the Airbnb in Logan. At the Airbnb, FBI agents found several potential blood stains. Additionally, investigators uncovered materials related to child sexual abuse and sexual conversations with a teenager on Discord.
Thomas’s defense attorney, Samuel Shamanisky, did not respond to a request for comment. Following Thomas’s arrest, Buzbee’s father, Beau, described his daughter as «a smart, beautiful, kind, and caring young woman with a bright future».
Thomas faces nine federal charges, including kidnapping resulting in death, as well as charges of intent to engage in illegal sexual activity with a minor, which also resulted in death, transporting a minor for the purpose of committing criminal sexual activity, sexual exploitation, attempted enticement of a minor, obstruction of justice, and accessing digital materials with the intent to view child pornography. Prosecutor Dominic C. Gerace II noted that his office has been working closely with law enforcement at the federal, state, and local levels for the past eight months to seek justice for Hailey and her family.
According to court documents, Thomas met Buzbee through online games such as Roblox and League of Legends. Since May 2024, when Buzbee was 15 years old, he allegedly attempted to lure her into sexual acts. Hailey went missing from her home in Fishers, Indiana, on January 5. During the investigation, it was established that Thomas traveled from Columbus to Indiana to pick up Buzbee and then returned with her to Ohio, where he took her to an Airbnb in Logan with the intent to engage in illegal sexual activity.
Prosecutors stated that at some point, Thomas allegedly killed Buzbee, after which he dismembered and buried her body. Hailey’s remains were found along the North Trail in the Wayne National Forest, located in southeastern Ohio. Thomas was first arrested in January by local authorities and was then arrested on federal charges in February.
During a search of Thomas’s phone, deleted messages and interactions between him and Buzbee were discovered, including their conversations on Snapchat and explicit photos of Hailey, allegedly taken in his home in Columbus and at the Airbnb in Logan. At the Airbnb, FBI agents found several potential blood stains. Additionally, investigators uncovered materials related to child sexual abuse and sexual conversations with a teenager on Discord.
Thomas’s defense attorney, Samuel Shamanisky, did not respond to a request for comment. Following Thomas’s arrest, Buzbee’s father, Beau, described his daughter as «a smart, beautiful, kind, and caring young woman with a bright future».
© Zhinobaeva Margarita
