She didn’t run away — she just logged out of the game. Hailey Buzbee’s last online gaming message was sent minutes before she disappeared. Investigators later noticed an anomaly in the timestamp that remains unexplained to this day…

Now, a new revelation from Hailey Buzbee‘s best friend has deepened the timeline of the 17-year-old’s tragic disappearance: she confided shortly before vanishing that she was planning to “meet someone”.

According to sources close to the investigation, Hailey’s closest friend told Fishers Police Department detectives that in the days leading up to January 5, 2026, Hailey mentioned excitement—or at least anticipation—about meeting a person she had connected with online. The friend described the conversations as casual, typical teen talk about new friendships formed through shared interests, but did not recall specific details about the individual’s identity, location, or how they had arranged to meet. This disclosure, shared early in the probe, helped steer investigators toward Hailey’s digital interactions and ultimately to Tyler Thomas, the 39-year-old Columbus, Ohio man she is believed to have left home to meet.

The friend’s account aligns with the emerging picture: Hailey did not appear to be fleeing her family or running away in distress. Instead, she stepped out voluntarily after what seemed like a routine evening at home in Fishers, Indiana. Her parents last saw her around 10 p.m. that night; by the next day, January 6, when she failed to respond or appear, they reported her missing.

Detectives’ deep dive into Hailey’s devices and online activity uncovered another layer of intrigue: a detail in her last text message that did not match her account. While authorities have not publicly specified the exact discrepancy—whether it involved the recipient, content, sending device, metadata, or something else—the mismatch raised immediate red flags. In digital forensics, inconsistencies in text logs can indicate account compromise, spoofing, use of a secondary device, or even post-mortem manipulation of communications. This anomaly, combined with the earlier unexplained timestamp irregularity in her final gaming platform message, suggested possible interference or staging in her digital trail.

The gaming message itself—sent minutes before she apparently logged out—remains the last known voluntary expression from Hailey. That abrupt log-out, now viewed in hindsight as the moment she transitioned from online to in-person contact, has been described by family and investigators as the point where “she just logged out of the game” and into danger.

The investigation quickly pivoted to Thomas after linking him to Hailey through the gaming platform. Police say the two communicated over time before she left her home to meet him. Thomas admitted to picking her up but initially claimed he dropped her off on a road in western Ohio—a story later disproven by evidence. Searches of his Columbus residence and a short-term rental in the Hocking Hills area revealed sexually explicit images and videos of the teen, some allegedly deleted in an attempt to cover tracks.

On January 31, 2026, Thomas was arrested on charges of pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor and tampering with evidence. Two days later, on February 1, he reportedly cooperated, guiding FBI and local authorities to a remote wooded area near the New Straitsville Trailhead in Wayne National Forest, Perry County, Ohio. Human remains recovered from snowy terrain were confirmed on February 6 as Hailey’s through autopsy by the Licking County Coroner’s Office, assisted by Perry County authorities.

A plastic bag found near the remains continues to be examined for DNA traces, fingerprints, and other forensic evidence that could illuminate how or when the body was moved or handled. No official cause of death has been released pending full lab results.

Thomas remains in Franklin County Jail on a $1.5 million bond. His attorney, Sam Shamansky, has stated that Thomas maintains he did not kill Hailey, though homicide charges are widely anticipated, potentially filed in Hocking or Perry County. The case spans Indiana and Ohio jurisdictions, with FBI involvement from both Indianapolis and Cincinnati field offices.

Hailey’s family, devastated by the outcome, has launched a push for “Hailey’s Law” in Indiana—a proposed “Pink Alert” system for high-risk missing juveniles that don’t meet Amber Alert thresholds, plus mandated grooming awareness education in schools. Her father described her as “smart, beautiful, and kind,” a Hamilton Southeastern High School student who left behind messages of positivity.

The friend’s revelation about “meeting someone,” paired with the mismatched text detail and the lingering timestamp anomaly, paints a picture of a teen lured from safety through digital trust. As forensic testing continues and the investigation moves toward potential additional charges, these small inconsistencies serve as grim reminders of how predators can exploit online connections—and how even the most routine messages can carry hidden warnings.