Authorities believe the body of a missing Fishers teenager has been found in southern Ohio, according to the attorney for a person of interest in the case.
Investigators believe they located the body of 17-year-old Hailey Buzbee in Perry County, Thomas led FBI agents to the location on Feb. 1.
Hailey Buzbee, an Indiana teen who’s been missing for almost a month, and was said to be in Ohio with Columbus man Thomas.
Thomas, of the Victorian Village area of Ohio, is currently charged in Franklin County Municipal Court with pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor and tampering with evidence. Court records indicate investigators found sexually oriented photos and videos of Buzbee on Thomas’ phone, some of which he allegedly attempted to delete.
Buzbee, who lived in Fishers, Indiana, and attended Hamilton Southeastern High School, was last seen by her parents on Jan. 5. Police believe she met Thomas through an online gaming platform and voluntarily left her home to meet him. Investigators later determined a vehicle seen near her home at the time she disappeared was linked to Thomas.
Buzbee was initially reported as a runaway, but her case was upgraded to an endangered missing juvenile on Jan. 20. Police searched Thomas’ vehicle and residence on Jan. 21, where they reportedly found evidence indicating Buzbee had been present. Additional evidence was also discovered at a short-term rental property in Hocking County, according to court records.
Franklin County Municipal Court Judge Jim O’Grady set Thomas’ bond at $1.5 million on Jan. 31, prior to his first court appearance. Records show Thomas was temporarily released to the FBI on Feb. 1 for investigative purposes before being returned to the Franklin County jail.
During a bond hearing on Feb. 2, Municipal Court Judge Jarrod Skinner upheld the $1.5 million bond. If released, Thomas would be prohibited from accessing the internet or having unsupervised contact with minors, court records state.
As of Monday, Thomas has not been charged with murder. Court records in Franklin and Perry counties show the investigation remains ongoing.
