COLUMBUS, Ohio — A federal grand jury has indicted a 39-year-old Columbus man on nine counts in the kidnapping and killing of a 17-year-old Indiana girl, U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II announced Wednesday.
Tyler Nike Thomas is charged with kidnapping resulting in death, two counts of an offense resulting in death, travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor, transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, sexual exploitation of a minor, attempted enticement of a minor, obstruction of justice and accessing digital materials with intent to view child pornography, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio. He is accused of sexually exploiting and murdering Hailey Buzbee, of Indiana, according to the release.
Thomas allegedly met Buzbee, then 15, online while the two played Roblox and League of Legends, and as early as May 2024 attempted to entice her into sexual activity, the release said.
In January, Thomas allegedly traveled overnight from Columbus to Fortville, Indiana, between Jan. 5 and Jan. 6 to pick up Buzbee and bring her back to Ohio, intending to engage in illicit sexual activity with her, according to the indictment. The indictment alleges he murdered her in the course of those offenses.
Cell phone data shows Thomas traveled to an Airbnb in Logan on the afternoon of Jan. 6, according to the release. The next morning, at about 9:25 a.m., his phone remained near the North Country Trail Trailhead in Wayne National Forest for about five hours — the area where Buzbee’s remains were later found, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
The indictment further alleges Thomas obstructed justice by decapitating, dismembering, burying and discarding Buzbee’s body. A forensic review of his cell phone also turned up deleted Snapchat messages with Buzbee and sexually explicit images of her taken at Thomas’ Columbus residence and the Airbnb, according to the release.
Thomas was initially arrested in January on a local charge that was dismissed after he was taken into federal custody in February and charged by criminal complaint, the release said.
“Prosecutors from my office have worked diligently with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners over the past eight months to bring today’s charges forward, never losing sight of the pursuit of justice for Hailey Buzbee and her family,” Gerace said in a statement. “I want to assure the public that we will not waiver as we see this case through. That diligent work, dedication, and commitment to justice will continue as this case proceeds.”
The charges carry penalties ranging up to life in prison or death, according to the release. The indictment was announced jointly by Gerace, FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Jason Cromartie, Ohio Attorney General Andy Wilson, Fishers, Indiana, Police Chief Ed Gebhart, Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant, Hocking County Sheriff Lanny E. North, Perry County Sheriff William R. Barker and Fairfield County Sheriff Alex Lape.
The investigation, which also drew assistance from the U.S. Forest Service, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, FBI Indianapolis and multiple search-and-rescue teams, was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a Department of Justice initiative targeting child sexual exploitation, according to the release.
Suspects are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio.
