Columbus man faces death penalty in teen's killing

U.S. NewsOhio man accused of kidnapping, killing Indiana teenagerBy Cliff Pinckard, cleveland.comCOLUMBUS, Ohio — An Ohio man has been indicted on multiple federal charges after he was accused of kidnapping an Indiana teen he met online and then sexually assaulting and killing her.Tyler Thomas, 39, of Columbus, is charged with kidnapping resulting in death; traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and this offense resulting in death; transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and this offense resulting in death; sexual exploitation; attempted enticement of a minor; obstruction of justice; and accessing digital materials with the intent to view child pornography.Thomas is accused of killing Hailey Buzbee, 17, of Fortville, Ind.“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,” U.S. Attorney Dominick Gerace II said in a statement. “I want to assure the public that we will not waver as we see this case through. That diligent work, dedication, and commitment to justice will continue as this case proceeds.”According to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio, Thomas first contacted Buzbee while playing video games online, including Roblox and League of Legends.Prosecutors said that in May 2024, Thomas began trying to convince Buzbee, who was only 15 years old at the time, to meet with him to engage in sex.According to the news release, Thomas traveled to Fortville during the overnight hours of Jan. 5 to Jan. 6 to pick up Buzbee and take her back to Ohio. He intended to sexually assault the victim, prosecutors said. Authorities believe he murdered Buzbee during this time.An analysis of his cellphone showed Thomas reportedly traveled from Columbus to an Airbnb residence in Logan, Ohio, on the afternoon of Jan. 6. At about 9:25 a.m. on Jan. 7, phone data shows Thomas traveled to the North Country Trail Trailhead in Wayne National Forest, prosecutors said. He remained there for about five hours.Buzbee’s dismembered remains were later found buried in Wayne National Forest, the news release said. Investigators reportedly found deleted communications on Thomas’ cellphone with the victim, including messages on Snapchat. They also found sexually explicit images of the victim in Thomas’ Columbus home and at the Airbnb residence, authorities said. Thomas was arrested in January on a local charge, but it was dismissed when he was taken into federal custody in February and charged by federal criminal complaint.If convicted of all charges, Thomas could face the death penalty, the news release said.Cliff Pinckard has been with The Plain Dealer/cleveland.com since 1999. He has been a copy editor in the sports and entertainment departments, and also has been an online reporter and editor. He currently is an...