A federal grand jury indicted Tyler Thomas, 39, of Columbus on nine counts on Sept. 23. The charges relate to the disappearance and death of Hailey Buzbee, 17, of Fishers, Indiana, NBC4 Columbus reported.
Buzbee’s family now wants the U.S. House to advance the HAILEY Act, NBC4 reported. The bill would let police issue Amber Alerts for minors they reasonably believe are high-risk missing persons, even without evidence of an abduction.
No Amber Alert went out when Buzbee disappeared because police first classified her as a runaway, according to NBC4. Her father, Beau Buzbee, thanked investigators in a statement and urged lawmakers to act.
Ohio lawmakers are also weighing a response. State Rep. Michele Reynolds (R-Canal Winchester) and state Sen. Kristina Roegner (R-Hudson) introduced “Hailey’s Law,” which would require some gaming platforms to verify users’ ages and create a “Pink Alert” for missing minors, according to NBC4. The bill remains in an Ohio Senate committee, WKYC reported.
An indictment is an allegation, and Thomas is presumed innocent unless proven guilty. His attorney, Sam Shamansky, said Thomas turned himself in and helped the FBI find Buzbee’s remains, according to 10TV.
Both the federal and Ohio bills await further action, and Columbus Frontline will update as more information becomes available.