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Creep charged after dismembered body of missing Indiana teen Hailey Buzbee found in Ohio

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Creep charged after dismembered body of missing Indiana teen Hailey Buzbee found in Ohio


The Ohio creep linked to the death of missing Indiana teen Hailey Buzbee traded disturbing messages and photos with the girl a year before snatching her from her home last month – then led investigators to where her dismembered body was buried, federal prosecutors said.

Tyler Thomas, 39, was hit Tuesday with federal exploitation charges for crossing state lines to bring the 17-year-old back to his Ohio home and carrying out sickening sexual acts before she turned up dead, according to the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio.

Buzbee was last seen near her Fishers, Indiana, home on Jan. 5, with her hacked up remains found deep in the woods of the Buckeye State on Feb. 2.

Tyler Thomas, 39, was hit Tuesday with federal exploitation charges for crossing state lines to bring the 17-year-old back to his Ohio home and carrying out sickening sexual acts before she was found dead. Franklin County Jail

No charges have yet been filed in the teen’s death.

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“The filing of these federal charges does not signal the end of the investigation,” US Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II said in a statement.

Hailey Buzbee was last seen near her Fishers home on Jan. 5 and her hacked up remains were found on Feb. 2 deep in the woods of the Buckeye State. Beau Buzbee / Facebook

“Our prosecutors continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to collect and comb through evidence in pursuit of justice for Hailey and her family. We appreciate the public’s patience as the investigation proceeds.”

Prosecutors alleged Thomas, who met the teen gaming on Discord, drove about 160 miles overnight from Columbus, Ohio, to Fortville, Indiana, on Jan. 6 to pick her up at home after plotting Buzbee’s escape during year-long sexually-charged online chats.

Phone data allegedly tracked Thomas to a Logan Airbnb the night he grabbed Buzbee, then near the North County Trail in Wayne Nation Forest the next morning – the gruesome site where the girl’s mutilated remains were later found, court documents showed.

No charges have yet been filed in the teen’s death. Beau Buzbee / Facebook

The sicko allegedly wiped his phone of disturbing Snapchat messages and sexually explicit photos of the teen taken at his Columbus residence and the Airbnb, where prosecutors said traces of blood were found.

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Investigators also seized additional cell phones and computers from his home, uncovering obscene photos of a roughly 10-year-old girl and a vile Discord conversation with another teen who said she was in the 10th grade, according to the charging documents.

In one message, Thomas allegedly asked the teen: “Does baby carve parts of her body?” adding that she’d “look so good covered in red.”

Prosecutors alleged Thomas, who met the teen gaming on Discord, drove overnight from Columbus, Ohio, to Fortville, Indiana, on Jan. 6 to pick her up at home after plotting her escape during year-long sexually-charged online chats. Gofundme

During an interview with police on Jan. 21, Thomas allegedly told cops he believed Buzbee “was alive and safe” – but refused to admit to her murder, chillingly saying, “No, I wouldn’t tell you.”

He was charged with pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor and evidence tampering on Jan. 31. 

Two days later, he led investigators to the exact spot where the teen’s lifeless body was buried under a thick layer of frozen dirt, prosecutors said. 

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The sicko allegedly wiped from his phone disturbing Snapchat messages and sexually explicit photos of the teen taken at his Columbus residence and the Airbnb. Beau Buzbee / Facebook

Officials said his state charges will be dismissed as the federal case moves ahead.

Thomas is being held on a $1.5 million cash bond at Franklin County Jail.



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Indiana

Heavy rain soaks central Indiana, but drought relief uneven across the state

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Heavy rain soaks central Indiana, but drought relief uneven across the state


Central Indiana has seen a very wet start to March, with several rounds of rain and storms moving through the region over the past few days. In fact, the city of Indianapolis has already received more rain in the first four days of the month than it typically gets during the entire month of March.

So far this month, Indianapolis has recorded 3.90 inches of rainfall, which already exceeds the normal March monthly average of 3.79 inches. Much of that rain came during a widespread soaking on Tuesday, when a strong system pushed steady showers and thunderstorms across the state.

Some of the highest totals over the past three days have been recorded across central Indiana. Rain gauges show 5.86 inches in Marion County, 5.02 inches in Morgan County, 4.97 inches in Hancock County, 4.95 inches in Shelby County, 4.57 inches in Johnson County, and 4.26 inches in Hendricks County. These totals represent a significant amount of rainfall in a short period of time and have left many areas with saturated ground and standing water in low spots.

Despite the widespread rainfall, the impact on drought conditions has been somewhat uneven across the state. According to the latest drought monitor, the areas that received the heaviest rain over the past few days are largely the same areas that were already in relatively good shape in terms of moisture levels. Meanwhile, parts of northern Indiana that have been dealing with more persistent dryness have seen much lighter totals.

Cities such as Kokomo, Lafayette, and Muncie have generally picked up less rain compared to areas farther south. Forecast models suggest that pattern may continue over the next several days.

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Additional rainfall is expected through Thursday, with another round possible around midday Saturday. Current projections show the best chance for another inch or more of rain focusing once again across the southern half of the state, while northern Indiana may see lower totals.

That means while the recent rain has certainly helped improve soil moisture in many areas, it may not fully address the lingering dryness farther north. For now, the pattern remains active, and Hoosiers should expect more wet weather before the system finally begins to move out later this weekend.



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Watch Indiana basketball’s Lamar Wilkerson give his mom a Cadillac

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Watch Indiana basketball’s Lamar Wilkerson give his mom a Cadillac


Indiana basketball sharpshooter Lamar Wilkerson is known for his generosity.

Upon joining the Hoosiers, he gave a tidy sum of his NIL earnings to his previous program, Sam Houston State.

“I was blessed to be able go from that, from not having a lot, to being here, having a lot more than I even knew what to do with,” Wilkerson said at the time. “I just thought, I can give them this.”

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He upped the ante on IU’s Senior Night, giving his mother a Cadillac after the Hoosiers throttled Minnesota.

You could imagine her reaction.

Want more Hoosiers coverage? Sign up for IndyStar’s Hoosiers newsletter. Listen to Mind Your Banners, our IU Athletics-centric podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch the latest on IndyStar TV: Hoosiers.



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Indiana basketball vs. Minnesota score, updates tonight: Start time, where to watch

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Indiana basketball vs. Minnesota score, updates tonight: Start time, where to watch


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  • The Indiana Hoosiers have lost four straight games and are scrambling to earn an NCAA Tournament berth.
  • The Minnesota Golden Gophers are trying to reach .500 for the season. They beat IU in a Big Ten opener in December.

Indiana (17-12, 8-10 Big Ten) has no room for air as it hosts Minnesota (14-15, 7-11). The Hoosiers have lost four in a row, leaving them on the NCAA Tournament bubble, while the Golden Gophers have won three of their last four. Minnesota beat IU in a conference opener.

We will have score updates and highlights, so remember to refresh.

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What time does Indiana basketball play Minnesota tonight, March 4? Start time for Minnesota basketball vs Indiana on Wednesday, March 4, 2026

  • The Indiana-Minnesota game is at 6:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana.

Where to watch Indiana vs. Minnesota tonight, March 4? What channel is the Minnesota-Indiana on college basketball game today?

Watch college basketball with a free Fubo trial

Indiana vs. Minnesota predictions tonight, March 4

  • Zach Osterman, IndyStar: Indiana 75-69 
  • “Indiana is on the ropes. Minnesota has nothing to lose. Gophers already beat IU once this year. So picking Minnesota here is going to be trendy. Too trendy. The Ohio State game is tougher to forecast, but the Hoosiers win here.”
  • Michael Niziolek, Herald-Times: Indiana 78-70
  • “Can Minnesota spoil IU’s Senior Night? The Gophers upended Indiana in Darian DeVries’ Big Ten debut earlier this season and have been a tough out in conference play. They are just 7-11, but six of those losses are by single digits and two of those came in overtime. The Hoosiers need to do a better job of locking down the perimeter while getting a more balanced scoring effort. Indiana should be able to pull this one out and keep its NCAA Tournament chances alive for another night.”

Where to listen to Indiana vs. Minnesota tonight, March 4, 2026

How much are Indiana vs. Minnesota tickets tonight, March 4, 2026?

IU basketball tickets on StubHub

Basketball rankings college: Indiana vs. Minnesota

As of March 2

(all times ET; with date, day of week, location and opponent, time, TV)

  • 0, Jasai Miles
  • 1, Reed Bailey
  • 2, Jason Drake
  • 3, Lamar Wilkerson
  • 4, Sam Alexis
  • 5, Conor Enright
  • 6, Tayton Conerway
  • 7, Nick Dorn
  • 10, Josh Harris
  • 11, Trent Sisley
  • 12, Tucker DeVries
  • 13, Aleksa Ristic
  • 15, Andrej Acimovic

Want more Hoosiers coverage? Sign up for IndyStar’s Hoosiers newsletter. Listen to Mind Your Banners, our IU Athletics-centric podcast, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Watch the latest on IndyStar TV: Hoosiers.



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