Man, 39, Allegedly Told Police He Picked Up Missing Teen He Met Online. He Just Led Them to Her Body, His Attorney Says

An Indiana teenager reported missing nearly a month ago has been found dead, according to the attorney for the man arrested in the case.

Hailey Buzbee, 17, disappeared from her home in Fishers, Ind., on Jan. 5, according to a statement issued by the Fishers Police Department on Jan. 19.

Investigators initially believed she had run away, but later classified her as an “an endangered missing juvenile.”

On Sunday, Feb. 1, Fishers Police said they believed Buzbee was dead and announced an arrest.

Tyler Thomas, 39, was arrested over the weekend and booked into the Franklin County jail, online records show. He has not been charged in connection with Buzbee’s death.

Thomas’ attorney, Samuel Shamansky, confirms to the outlet that Thomas led investigators to Buzbee’s body in Perry County, Ohio, on Sunday, Feb. 2.

“Mr. Thomas made the decision when we first met him on Friday to assist the government and law enforcement with locating Ms. Buzbee’s body, and that was of fair amount of importance to us and to Mr. Thomas,” Shamansky says.

The Fishers Police Department confirms to the outlet it is aware of the recovery of a body, but said an official determination of identity has not yet been made. The department declined to confirm Shamansky’s account.

The Perry County coroner’s office was not reachable on Monday.

Authorities allege Thomas and Buzbee met through online gaming, Fishers police said during a briefing on Sunday.

“He admitted to picking Hailey up at her home. He told us that he dropped her off on the side of the road in western Ohio,” Fishers Police Chief Ed Gebhart said.

Police said they recovered evidence indicating Thomas and Buzbee stayed at “a short-term rental” after meeting, but they were unable to locate her at that property, according to the press conference.

Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness said at the briefing that Buzbee is being remembered as “a bright light in the family,” adding that she lived with a “tremendous amount of promise and hope.”

Thomas was booked into jail on two felony charges of “sexually oriented matter” involving a minor and tampering with evidence, according to Franklin County jail records.

Shamansky tells the outlet they plan to enter pleas of not guilty to the current charges, as well as to any charges related to Buzbee’s death if they are filed.