Groomed, Taken, and the App No One Was Watching: The Hailey Buzbee Case

17-year-old Hailey Buzbee vanished from her home in Fishers, Indiana, in January 2026. What started as online gaming turned into a year-long grooming process that ended in tragedy. In this episode of Serial Napper, we walk through the case of Hailey Buzbee, from the quiet early morning hours she disappeared… to the digital trail that led investigators across state lines and into the woods of Ohio. Hailey met 39-year-old Tyler Thomas through online platforms like Roblox and League of Legends. What followed was months of communication across apps like Discord, Snapchat, and the encrypted messaging app Session, where conversations can disappear without a trace. This case isn’t about a stranger in a van. It’s about what can happen inside a phone. 17-year-old Hailey Buzbee vanished from her home in Fishers, Indiana, in January 2026. What started as online gaming turned into a year-long grooming process that ended in tragedy. In this episode of Serial Napper, we walk through the case of Hailey Buzbee, from the quiet early morning hours she disappeared… to the digital trail that led investigators across state lines and into the woods of Ohio. Hailey met 39-year-old Tyler Thomas through online platforms like Roblox and League of Legends. What followed was months of communication across apps like Discord, Snapchat, and the encrypted messaging app Session, where conversations can disappear without a trace. This case isn’t about a stranger in a van. It’s about what can happen inside a phone. Sources: https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2026/03/17/who-is-hailey-buzbee-and-why-are-ohio-lawmakers-moving-to-restrict-online-gaming-after-her-death/ https://www.10tv.com/article/news/local/court-records-reveal-new-details-in-disappearance-death-hailey-buzbee/530-1222f1bd-65cb-4e91-8518-f3946e527555 https://abc6onyourside.com/news/local/columbus-police-fbi-hocking-perry-county-fishers-indiana-search-warrant-reveals-new-details-hailey-buzbee-tyler-thomas-death-investigation  https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/people-show-unwavering-support-for-buzbee-family-weeks-after-the-teens-disappearance-and-death/531-0a8dcfb4-cf55-4141-8987-d39111d35188  https://www.flannerbuchanan.com/obituaries/hailey-buzbee https://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2026/02/03/hailey-buzbee-teen-remembered-as-kind-vibrant-with-passion-for-journalism-community-reacts/88491969007/ Follow me here: ► YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@SerialNapper/ ► Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/serialnappernik/ ► Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SerialNapper/ ► TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@serialnappernik  *Go Ad-Free on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/SerialNapper * Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices