Groomed Online By Roblox Predator & Lured From Her Home: The Devastating Case Of Hailey Buzbee

Hello, everyone, and welcome back to another episode of True Crime with Kendall Rae. Thank you so much for joining me today. And if you're new to the show, then welcome. I'm happy to have you and make sure to click subscribe so you never miss an upload from me. So today, you guys, we're going to be talking about a really difficult and very recent case that I'm sure many of you have heard of. And I think there are some very important reasons to discuss this case. Now, when I was a kid, I was born in 1993. And things were very different. I mean, first of all, when I was born, there was no social media. I know a lot of you probably had the same experience. I lived in a world I wish I could raise my kids in. The internet really, really scares me. And it's more important than ever that we talk about the dangers of the internet, especially when it comes to minors. When I was a kid, you know, my parents definitely talked to us about stranger danger. And I had some VHS with this. I know some of you are going to know what I'm talking about. But this, I think he was called the yellow dino or the yellow dina dino. I don't know. He was all about stranger danger. He had songs about taking a step back. And there was like little acts about people in white vans, creepy white vans coming up. And like, if they offer you candy or to look at a puppy, you know, it was mainly surrounded on in-person events, not to talk to strangers at the park. If someone tells you they're a police officer, you know, don't believe them. That's the kind of thing that I was taught about mainly as a child. And about, you know, not being out by myself at night and things like that, you know, come home before the streetlights turn on, that kind of thing. But it's a whole different ball game now for parents of young children and teenagers. And I mean, with the rise of technology, we're all being exposed to more dangers, more and more every day. We're constantly being exposed to strangers online. And while there are, of course, millions of innocent interactions every day, there are also countless predators out there who are taking advantage of the internet completely anonymously. And in today's case, we are going to discuss the absolutely devastating murder of 17-year-old Haley Busby. And it's really a prime example of how important and necessary it is that we educate not only our kids, but ourselves of the dangers that lurk online. Now, Haley was a beautiful, smart, very driven young woman. And she fell victim to the sickest kind of criminal. And she's not alone. Children all over the world are being victimized by these predators. And something has to change. And it really, it starts with us because our governments and corporations don't really seem to care that much. Haley's case terrifies me, truly devastates me as a parent myself. It's almost too difficult to talk about. The idea of my kids getting on the internet one day or having access to the internet is so, so scary. And I'm trying to educate myself as much as I can. Although by the time, you know, my kids are old enough for the internet, which who knows if I'll ever let them on the internet while they're in my house. But I'm sure by the time they're of age where they want to be on online games and social media and things like that, the whole landscape is going to completely change. I'm a four-year-old and a three-month-old right now. So I know that telling her story is giving power to save other lives and to educate other parents and other young people out there. And if I can help facilitate these conversations, even though it's difficult and truly terrifies me, I want to try. Haley Page Busby was born on October 9th, 2008. And her story takes place in Fishers, Indiana, where she lived with her dad, Beau, and her stepmom, Rania. And also she had a little sister named Sabria. I don't have a super clear picture necessarily of their family structure, but on her obituary page, her mom is listed as Lindsay Simmons. And she also has a brother named Elijah. And let me just tell you right off the bat, it's very clear that Haley meant so much to so many people. It's obvious how special of a person Haley was. She had such a bright and joyful spirit to her. And she was someone who could really change the mood of a room simply by being in it and being herself. And her smile has been described as infectious. And just by looking at her dimples, especially some of her pictures from when she was a lot younger, I can definitely say that's the case. She was just such an adorable child and becoming a truly beautiful young woman. And her loved ones say that her heart was just always in the right place. They noted that Haley could be shy at first, but when she opened up, she was giggly and quick-witted. And she always went out of her way to make people feel seen and loved. And it also sounds like Haley was just an amazing big sister, which I think is such a wonderful quality in someone. I mean, I can see it through the photos of them together, but I learned that no matter what was going on in her own life, she was always home to tuck her younger sister, Sabria, into bed at night, which I thought was just so cool and so mature for her age. And I'm sure those moments, you know, tucking someone into bed at night is such a special time. It's really something that you remember. As you go throughout life, you know, who tucked you in when you were a child. And I'm so happy that her sister has those memories of her. Family was very important to Haley. And I know that she was very important to them too. It's also important to know that Haley was a very hard worker, a very driven person. And that was really showcased in two different ways. One, she was excelling in school. She had aspirations of becoming a journalist one day, so she was part of her high school's broadcast journalism team, which is super cool. And her goal was to one day attend Indiana University to study journalism, which was a dream that everyone says she definitely would have accomplished. Haley was actually saving money for college, which brings me to the second thing that she worked very hard at, her job. She worked three to four days a week as a server at a restaurant called The Kitchen on Main, which is in Fortville, Indiana. And everyone there, of course, had nothing but amazing things to say about how responsible she was and how hardworking she was. Haley was known for bringing a smile to everyone she served, for her reliability and her work ethic. And really, you guys, she was just a normal teenager. She had big dreams for herself and seemed to have every intention on following through with them. And everyone in her life believed she absolutely would. But that all changed in January of 2026, very recently, after she was lured out of her room and murdered by a predator who spent an entire year grooming her. And believe me, I fully realize how painful and shocking that sentence was, but that is the reality of Haley's case. And it all began on January 5th, 2026. It was a Monday, and it was the start of Haley's second semester of her junior year. And according to her family, everything about that day was completely normal, even including when they last saw her, which was 10 p.m. that night. But by 6 a.m. the next morning, she was gone. When her dad and her stepmom woke up and didn't see Haley getting ready for the day, they immediately had a gut-sinking feeling. And that feeling was only made far worse when they checked her room and she was nowhere to be found. Federal court documents would later reveal that Haley had left a note for them stating that she had run away and was asking that nobody search for her. But there was no world where her parents would just let her leave like that. In fact, she was gone. They immediately contacted the Fishers Police Department and filed a missing person's report. And this is so frustrating and sadly not shocking these days. Well, since forever, it feels. You would think it'd be getting better by now, and maybe in some ways it is. But the fact that we still deal with situations like this and cases like this today is just infuriating. But yeah, problematically, the police initially labeled her as a runaway, and an Amber Alert wasn't activated. And as you can probably tell, this is going to be a big point of discussion in this case later on. But yeah, off the bat, they made that classification because of what they saw, or rather, what they didn't see. When they looked around the house, there was no sign of a break-in or anything to suggest that she was abducted. And of course, there was that note left behind, and she had packed up some of her belongings, so they viewed this as proof that she left willingly. And that is true. She did leave willingly. After her parents checked their surveillance cameras, they saw that shortly after 3am, Haley got into a dark-colored SUV. Police weren't able to make out the driver of the car, but through reviewing additional security footage from the neighborhood, they were able to get a read on the license plate, thankfully. And that car was a 2014 Acura. It belonged to a woman who has not been publicly named. However, she told the police that she wasn't even in Indiana, on January 6th. She was in Florida. She did mention, though, that there was someone who could have been driving the car. And that was 39-year-old Tyler Thomas. Now, if you're wondering what reason, what good reason a 39-year-old man could possibly have to pick up a 17-year-old girl, he doesn't know. There obviously is none. Tyler was not known to the Busby family, and he was also not known to the police. Based on what Fisher's PD could tell, he had no record. Thankfully, though, because I'm not sure actually, I am sure that not all police departments would do this, but Fisher's PD did make an effort to try and find her, and that happened even with the runaway classification, which is a big problem, like I said, and we will discuss that, but they simultaneously didn't ignore that her disappearance was concerning, thankfully. And according to their own press conference, Fisher's police tracked down Tyler within a few days of Haley going missing. Now, for whatever reason, he didn't seem to have any sort of address listed with his name, and a lot of source materials on this case describes him as homeless, although I think he may have been more of just a couch surfer, maybe. Court records show that he lived in Hawaii until 2017, and then he moved to Kentucky and then Michigan before finally ending up in Columbus, Ohio, which is where Fisher's police found him. And also, because I'm sure you're probably wondering, I am unaware of his connection to Tyler. I don't know if he's been to this woman that owned the car or how she would have known that he was driving her car. There's just still a lot of mystery to that part of the puzzle. I also have some questions that I don't have answers to at this point about the house that he was found in, because from what I understand, at least, he was living there. So I don't know why he was listed as homeless, but that's probably because he, you know, didn't own the house or maybe wasn't paying rent or I don't fully know. It honestly doesn't really matter. But anyways, it sounds like they were able to track him to that house based on his cell phone data. And the woman who owned the Acura gave police his number and sources say that they traced him to a house on Hunter Avenue in Columbus. And apparently this house is in a super nice neighborhood called Victorian Village. And so. So on January 16th, Fisher's PD and Columbus PD made contact with Tyler there. Now, I also wanted to quickly just say that the comment I made earlier about the police's statement that they found him within days of Haley going missing is odd to me because January 16th is 10 days later. And I guess when I hear days, I think of two, three, maybe even up to four days, but not 10. And anything longer than a week, I don't think you can say days. And I think that was done strategically to voice it in that way. Maybe it's possible that they made contact with him before the 16th and just haven't shared that for whatever reason, or maybe the verbiage on days just isn't aligned with mine. But I just wanted to flag that in case anyone else caught that. Now, when they spoke with him, I don't know what they were expecting, but it sounds like he was surprisingly very cooperative, or at least as cooperative as a sicko like him could be. He first told the police that the reason he was in Indiana was because he was, quote, looking for different places, including the local airport and an app store. And he said, well, I don't know, I don't know. But Tyler eventually told the truth, or a version of the truth, I should say. Tyler told detectives that he did know Haley, and he had picked her up in the early morning hours of January 6th. But he claimed that he dropped her off at the intersection of US-25 and State Route 320 in Eaton, Ohio. And this is where I just get a little bit of a headache. The chills thinking about it, where my heart just totally sinks every time. Tyler explained to detectives that he had known Haley for an entire year. He said that they met through Discord. And I had no idea just how dangerous Discord is. I used to use Discord to communicate with a small group of fans years ago until I just forgot the password and never figured out how to log back in. But I had no idea how truly dangerous Discord is for a multitude of reasons, but especially for minors, and what a tool it is for predators. I learned a lot about it through a seminar I went to at a conference here in Colorado called COVA last September, and I was shocked hearing just how bad it is. But yeah, they met through Discord, and then they continued having conversations with one another on that platform as well as through online games such as Roblox and League of Legends. I don't know anything about League of Legends. I actually don't really know much about Roblox, but everything I do know about Roblox terrifies me. And it is something I would highly suggest parents be, I mean, in my opinion, I don't think you should let your children use Roblox at all. But if you're going to, I don't know. I shouldn't give any advice on it because I barely know how to work it. The only real advice I can give is don't let your children on Roblox. League of Legends, I've heard of the game. I did not know it is also potentially a dangerous place as well, or at least a way that you could be connected with predators. And it seems like there's probably a very large variety of games where that is the case. Now, some sources report that they first met on Roblox, and then they moved to Discord. Either way, they were strangers to one another, and it was through one of those gaming slash chat platforms that they got connected and continued talking. And it was the fact that they had known one another for an entire year that made the police not believe his story about helping her run away. I mean, come on, what person with that level of insidiousness is going to spend all that time, a whole year, grooming a child just to then drive her, a hundred miles away and just leave her there? It's ridiculous. And the police knew that that was bullshit the second he said it. But at that point, they had nothing to arrest him for on January 16th. So he unfortunately was free to go. And what they could do, though, was finally upgrade Haley's case from runaway to endangered missing juvenile. On January 20th, Fisher's PD released a statement that reads in part, not act alone. She left her house either the night of January 5th or in the early morning hours of January 6th. Haley left her house willingly and with a plan, which categorized her as a runaway. We do not believe she acted alone in leaving. Based on the facts of the investigation, which we cannot share with the public at this time, her case is now being upgraded to an endangered missing juvenile. And listen, it pisses me the fuck off that it took them that long to make that classification. It just makes no sense to me. And I think most of you will agree. From the second that Haley went missing, her parents were screaming from the rooftops that she was in danger. And of course she was. Of course she was in danger, whether she chose to leave her house on her own or not. And immediately after she went missing, her dad, Beau, coordinated widespread efforts to get Haley's name and picture out there, which was pretty much all he could do at that point. He spent every waking minute advocating for her. And with the support of friends, family, and the community, an army for Haley was mobilized. Local businesses pitched in funds for billboards. People got their cars wrapped with Haley's information on it. And volunteers were handing out flyers all over Indiana and even across state lines as well. And the social media efforts were beyond extensive. Plus, Beau very quickly collected all of Haley's digital footprint and handed everything he possibly could. Think of to law enforcement being like, here, search this. Hello. These efforts were fast and intentional. And I think they go to show you just how many people loved Haley and wanted to see her come home safely. And I know law enforcement did want to see her come home safely as well. But the deeper they got into their investigation, the less likely that seemed. On January 21st, a search warrant was executed on the home that Tyler was living in. And while that search occurred, a second conversation was had with him. And this time, the search warrant was heard even less settling information. When Tyler was asked about his communication with Haley, he admitted that there was another app that they had been messaging on. And this is so scary. I have never heard of this app. It is truly terrifying that things like this exist. Okay, it's called Session. And oh my god, this app allows individuals to create an account with without a phone number, without an email or any kind of personal identification. It doesn't collect IP addresses. It doesn't collect geolocation or really anything. It just allows individuals to any metadata. I mean, absolutely no metadata. And that allows people to communicate completely anonymously. Anyone can make an account with absolutely no safeguards in place. And apparently in their terms and conditions, you have to say that you're 18 or older, but it doesn't sound like they do any kind of age verification. It also uses end-to-end encryption and disappearing messages. So law enforcement and tech companies can't see what's going on in these conversations. And according to Tyler, they use Session specifically because he knew he could prevent law enforcement from ever viewing what they talked about. He said they used it so that they could help her run away. But as we know, they didn't believe that for a second. Now, I don't think I really need to explain why an app like this is dangerous, but platforms like this are literal breeding grounds for predators like Tyler. And these monsters, what they do in a lot of cases is they will gain the trust of children online, typically through platforms like Roblox, League of Legends, and Discord. Also, I've heard a lot of scary situations coming out of Minecraft. That's definitely one to be wary of. And I don't know a ton about Minecraft. My husband was explaining to me that you can create a private server where you as a parent have access to the server. access to who's on it. It could just be your children on it and you, if you wanted to like play with them or something. And I'm sure there are so many of you that understand Minecraft way more than me. But, you know, it's not limited to those gaming platforms either, or just Discord. There's just so many dangerous places where children can be initially communicated with. And then once that happens, once they groom them through there, they convince them to move their conversations to other platforms where they as predators can be more protected. And this allows for children of all ages to be victimized. And not just children. I mean, people in general can be victimized through platforms like this, like Session. And unfortunately, there's probably a lot of others just like Session. So as you can imagine, learning this was very concerning to law enforcement. And what was also concerning was Tyler's insistence that he didn't know where Haley was. He denied hurting her or killing her. Although when he was asked if he would tell them if he had done something to her, he said he wouldn't. He then asked for a lawyer. So getting him to confess anything more was not going to be easy. But ultimately, they didn't need a confession to find out the truth. Because during the execution of that search warrant, they were able to confiscate Tyler phone and his other electronic devices. And once those were processed, they truly realized at that point the depth of his inhumanity. According to court documents, there was a cache of sexually explicit photos and videos on his phone, which Haley was depicted in. And they could tell that these images were taken at that house that they had been searching. So for one, that proved what pretty much everyone already knew, that he didn't just drop her off on the side of the house. He and two, it confirmed that he had committed multiple crimes, including performing those acts with a minor, having the CSAM on his phone. And he had also attempted to delete those photos and videos off his phone. And this makes me sick, but sadly doesn't shock me at all. They discovered that Haley was not the only young girl that Tyler had been grooming. And it sounds like this other girl has been younger. It has been reported that she was between the ages of 7 and 10. Now, I also want to be clear, there have been some of his and Haley's messages that have been released, as well as messages with another girl. And I know there are other, you know, true crime creators, reporters, whatever, that have shared those. I don't understand why that's necessary. I think it's really upsetting. That anyone is doing that. But I have no intention of sharing those. Their families don't need to hear it. And quite frankly, his filth just isn't worth repeating. What exactly was said in those messages doesn't make a difference at the end of the day when it comes to what actually happened. And yeah, I just would not feel right sharing those. They're so, so disturbing. All you really need to know at the end of the day is Tyler is a sick, perverted, disgusting, foul, inhumane individual that is a complete waste of human life. And sadly, it doesn't stop there. Using location data, investigators have traced Tyler's movements, which confirmed that he picked up Haley in the early morning hours of January 6th, as we knew. And after that, data shows that he took her back to that house in Columbus, which was also confirmed by the photos taken of her there. And it turns out they didn't stay there very long, that same day, Tyler ended up taking her to an Airbnb in a rural area in Hocking County, Ohio. His phone showed that they stayed there overnight, and then on January 7th, he traveled to Wayne National Forest. This trip began at 9.25am, and records showed that he stayed there until 2.15pm. After that, Tyler traveled back to the property in Columbus. And of course, this Airbnb was of interest to investigators, but apparently when they confronted Tyler about it, he denied that Haley ever went there. And he said he got it as a getaway for himself, but obviously they knew that was a lie too. Not only were there additional images of Haley at the Airbnb on his phone, but this bozo put two guests under the reservation. And that kicked off not only a search of the Airbnb itself, but also the area surrounding it. Although to my knowledge, nothing during that search was found. That being said, Tyler's days as a free man were certainly numbered, and on January 31st, 2026, he reportedly turned himself in at the request of the authorities, during which time he was charged with pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor, as well as tampering with evidence. The next day, Fisher's PD held a press conference where for the first time, specific details about Haley's case came to light. So it pains me today to let you know that after an extensive investigation, we feel that Haley is deceased. I spent some time with the family this morning, along with Chief Gephardt, and their wishes were truly to express what an incredible human being Haley was. She was a bright light in the family's eyes. She was a wonderful big sister. She had a tremendous amount of promise and hope. She was excited about moving on to university, and she was an incredible human being. And I know that her family is devastated currently, and I'm confident that our community will rally in the coming hours, days, and weeks to stand with that family and their grief and share in the burden of mending and healing from this tragic loss. Unfortunately, this is tragic news for our community. We need to diligently work with the FBI, the Indiana State Police, and our Ohio partners, the Columbus Police Department, and the Hocking County Sheriff's Office. And after further investigation, Columbus Police Department's Homicide Unit assisted in serving search warrants where more evidence was collected at the home and the vehicle he had picked Haley up in. The investigation confirmed Haley to be at the Thomas home in Columbus and at a short-term rental in Hocking County. The Hocking County Sheriff's Office served search warrants for the short-term rental property and coordinated the use of aerial drones, canine, and physical search techniques to try to find Haley. Investigators from all agencies involved continue to search for Haley. The suspect is in police custody in Ohio on charges associated with this case, but has not been charged with her murder at this time. This is an ongoing investigation that now continues in Ohio. We will continue to investigate. to support those agencies and help with their investigation in any way possible. Our hearts are with her family, her friends, and our community as we try to get through this terrible time together. As you just heard, this investigation is being conducted by multiple agencies, including the FBI. The three local police departments involved in the case needed federal resources, which the FBI has willingly provided. And believe it or not, the same day that that press conference occurred, Haley Busby's remains were found. On February 1st, 2006, a day after turning himself in, Tyler Thomas took investigators to her body. Haley's remains were located in Perry County, Ohio, in the Wayne National Forest, the same area where Tyler's phone placed him the day after she went missing. And this is just devastating to have to say, but she had been dismembered. And additional details regarding her cause of death have not been disclosed. But knowing that part, I can only. Imagine the horror of what she experienced. And this is really frustrating to have to report, but despite him literally bringing them to her, Tyler has yet to be charged with her murder. And of course, this could change at any minute, and it is expected to change. I mean, murder charges are coming, but as of now, that hasn't happened. At least when I am recording this. And maybe I'll get to insert an update that, you know, he has. Finally been charged, but yeah, that's what we know as of now. Tyler's bail was set at $1.5 million, and according to his attorney, he has zero intention of making bond. And also, this piece of shit fully plans to plead not guilty. It's impossible to understate the tragic nature of this circumstance. And again, I want to emphasize, and not being gratuitous, but, you know, our client had every right in the world. to keep his mouth shut, and not participate, and let whatever chips there were fall where they may. He did precisely the opposite. He's been cooperative to the extent that, you know, he's been able, and that cooperation has been fruitful. I can tell you that yesterday, we accompanied law enforcement and the FBI to Perry County, and we assisted with pinpointing the location of Ms. Busby. Will he be charged? Will he be charged with homicide in Perry or Hocking County? We anticipate that charges in that regard will come from Hocking County. Do you know when? We don't. As you can imagine, these charges here, you know, were agreed upon, and I don't want to call them a placeholder, but, you know, he's not going to make bonds, so nobody's trying to rush anything. I mean, there's some procedural considerations for all parties at play, but right now, everybody has time to take a breath and, you know, move ahead accordingly. There's a difference between being responsible for certain acts of which one is not proud and also distinguishing from taking another's life. I can tell you that he will be entering a not-guilty plea if and when he's charged with a homicide in this matter and will proceed accordingly. Now, let me, of course, clarify that the lack of murder charges definitely frustrates me, but those investigating the case have asked. asked the public for their patience, which is very hard to do. And I am hopeful that those changes are coming and coming soon, like I said. And I get that he's innocent until proven guilty. I have to say that he's innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, but I'm sorry. I don't know how else he would have known where her body was unless he put her there. Not to mention the fact that when another search was done of the Airbnb, they found, quote, It's unclear how much of it was found, but that was enough for them to believe that this was the location where Haley was murdered. So, yes, murder charges are coming. I am confident of that. I would be absolutely shocked if they didn't. We just don't know when, and that's hard. And I'm sure that's really, really hard for her family. It's hard to be patient for justice, but the wheels of justice do turn incredibly slow. I mean, we know this. We've seen this so many times. But on that note, Tyler's charges did change mid-February. So, on February 10th, specifically, the federal government took over, and they charged him with one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of interstate commerce with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. And with that, his original two charges were dropped. And let me also be clear, many people consider these to be holding charges, which just means that this is what they are holding him on until the bigger charge of murder, which is the murder of Tyler. But if they keep those charges, in addition to what's going to come inevitably, he will be facing a lot of time in prison and possibly the death penalty. And something that shocked me is that when these new charges were announced, they also announced some new information, including the fact that January 6th, 2026, was not the first time that Tyler met, Haley, in person. Prosecutors allege that he came to Indiana two times in 2025. On June 5th of 2025, bank records revealed that he was at a gas station in Indiana and then went to the restaurant where Haley worked. And on July 2nd, 2025, there is allegedly a photo of them together in his car. Phone records reveal that he also placed a call that day, and the location was consistent with them being together. So there's no confirmation of this, but in my opinion, he almost certainly assaulted her in one, if not both, of those visits. And the age of consent is 16 in Indiana. However, the context of any sexual interaction between them would not have been legal, given the fact that he groomed her and was in a position of authority. And this is due to a brand new law that just passed in Indiana. And this is actually a perfect segue into what I want to spend a lot of time on. for the remainder of this episode, and that is the efforts taken by Haley's family to not only get her justice, but to ensure kids like her are protected from monsters like him. It's no secret that the internet is quite literally inescapable these days. The digital age has changed everything about how the world operates, how we all operate on a daily basis. And while so much of that has been for the good, there's so many positive sides to it. There's also a lot of bad that comes with it. And in my personal opinion, I know everyone kind of feels differently about this. I think there's more bad than good. Although I'm sitting here as someone who, you know, communicates with strangers online every day. I'm communicating with a stranger right now, you. But you know what I mean. It's so important to talk about because at the beginning of this episode, I said stranger danger is just not what it used to be. The internet has completely changed that. It's now literally everywhere. And most of us interact with people that we don't know online every day. I mean, I have some of my mobile games where I talk to strangers. I mean, technically, they're not people that I know, but I've like sort of made, I don't want to say friendships, but I've become like friendly with some of the people on these games. And I never share personal information. I'm an adult and I know how to safely do that. But think about it when you're talking with people like in comment sections. Um, or even people that you're emailing for work. I mean, I'm emailing a lot of people that I work with that I work with, you know, from different, um, talent agencies and different, uh, networks and stuff from out of state who I've never actually met, but I've spent a lot of time communicating with. And I'm not saying they're dangerous, but it's kind of shocking how many people we actually talk to online without knowing them. And that's because it's become so normalized that, we often forget how dangerous it can be. And I don't want to make everyone paranoid. I just want to point that out. It's something we need to be a little bit more aware of, I believe. And maybe a little paranoia when it comes to the internet would be good for a lot of people. But gaming platforms like Roblox and League of Legends are perfect examples of how these dangers can have real life consequences. And even games that I used to play, as a kid online where I don't think my parents understood that I was talking to strangers or like understood the gravity of what that could be. Cause they're like, oh, it's just other kids that they're playing with. Not necessarily. I used to play this one game called Yville where I was like chatting with other random people on there all the time, um, that I believed were all kids, but I didn't know. But like Club Penguin and, uh, Neopets. I don't know if you could chat with people. Yeah, I'm definitely showing my age here, but you know what I mean? It's just that times a million now. And like I said, I don't have any familiarity beyond what I have read and cases I've covered, um, with Roblox and League of Legends, like as far as how these games are played or set up. But from my understanding, users are put into servers with any number of people. And through these servers, you can chat with other gamers, including starting private chats one-on-one. And I know there's some, nuances to it, of course, but basically that's the gist and the danger really comes from the fact that any individual can pretend they're someone they're not. And for predators, they take advantage of this, and they're able to gain the trust of young children because it's often young children who play these games. And in 2023, Roblox actually reported over 13,000 incidents of child exploitation to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. And since 2018, child safety reporting has documented at least 30 arrests specifically related to predators who have abducted or sexually abused children that they met on Roblox. Predators build trust through these public chat rooms, and they convince these kids to talk to them in more private capacities. And that's when apps like Snapchat, Discord, and Session are used. And in many cases, conversations move from innocent game talk to speaking sexually, where kids can be asked to send inappropriate photos and say inappropriate things, for example. And in worst-case scenario situations, predators can convince children to meet up with them under false pretenses. There is a reason that so many lawsuits have been filed against companies like Roblox. And many people argue, myself included, that these games just simply do not do enough to protect young children. And I think that's a big problem. And I think that's a world of figuring out how to protect children online has come with a lot of varying opinions and discussions. And the UK, for example, just banned social media for children under the age of 16. And I know there has been a lot of cons brought up, a lot of concerns brought up in why they're doing that. So yeah, I'm not saying it's an easy fix, but I think we can all agree something has to be done. And of course, there are some parental controls on the chat feature for kids under a certain age for some of these games, I think, including Roblox. But let's be honest, predators are going to find their way around these so-called safety measures. Plus, once users are 16 years old, they can pretty much manage their own privacy settings. And Haley's family is among other countless families who are advocating for change when it comes to these platforms. And they're advocating for a lot, actually. And I really want to use my platform to amplify that here today. Haley's family came up with the idea for Haley's Law, which at a glance is a legislative proposal that's aimed at preventing tragedies like this from ever happening again. This law covers a lot, so stick with me as I break it down. But I think you'll agree that this is something that is long overdue and very important to talk about. So I appreciate you hanging in there and listening. Haley's Law can be broken down into three big sections, the Pink Alert Program, Modern Predator and Grooming Education for Students, and Additional Child Protection Consideration. Let's start with the first, the Pink Alert System. Now, I'm sure a lot of you are familiar with the Amber Alert, as well as the Silver Alert, and each require, you know, different criteria to be triggered. But the premise is that the public gets notified when those criteria are met. But in Haley's case, she didn't meet the criteria for either, which, as I mentioned, is incredibly problematic. Just because she willingly left with her abductor does not mean that her going missing put her at any less risk of harm. She was coerced and manipulated into going with him, and that absolutely needs to be recognized by law enforcement in the alert system. Hence, the Pink Alert. The Amber Alert was created in 1996 when Stranger Danger didn't look the way that it does now. So why don't we have a system that reflects that? We need to update things. So a Pink Alert would activate when credible risk indicators exist, such as evidence of online grooming or coercive digital communication, contact with unknown predators regardless of their age, suspicious travel arrangements, indicators of trafficking or exploitation, credible threats of harm, circumstances involving isolation, secrecy or financial control, vulnerability due to age or other risk factors, and sudden unexplained disability. I think this is beyond necessary, and I'm really saddened and surprised that something like this doesn't already exist. I mean, it's past overdue big time. Now, there have been some conversations around the fact that more alert systems could potentially confuse people and possibly make them less likely to act. But if that's the concern, at the very least, we need to have a system that we need to update the current systems to reflect these modern issues, right? And I'm really excited to tell you that progress has actually been made in Indiana as a result of her family's efforts. It was too late in the legislative season to add a new bill from scratch, so lawmakers added language to an existing bill. The news of Haley's tragic death has also gained attention here at the statehouse, both the attention of Governor Mike Braun and lawmakers. Haley's family has started a petition asking lawmakers to pass Haley's law, and Governor Braun said he believes that lawmakers should do something this session to address that. I spoke with some lawmakers, including two who represent Haley's family, and they say they're looking at what can be done. We all are grieving with you. Thoughts and prayers are with you. A message from Indiana Governor Mike Braun to the family of 17-year-old Haley Busby. The family of the Fisher's teen has their own message for the people who make decisions at the Indiana Statehouse, pass Haley's law to protect others from online predators. According to the petition, police did not issue an amber alert for Haley because they had no proof she was abducted and she was classified as a runaway. No silver alert went out either because Haley didn't have a disability or medical condition to warrant it. The petition says a pink alert would fill in the gaps in the alert system and cover missing people and kids when credible risk factors exist. In a tweet, Governor Braun said he's working with Indiana State Police to identify solutions to the problem. And in an interview Tuesday, the governor also called out Big Tech. Big Tech is going to have to start taking responsibility. These are their platforms. This session, the Senate considered a bill that would have put restrictions on social media for minors, but that part of the bill was taken out before the Senate passed it. Governor Braun indicated support for the request Haley's parents are making for lawmakers to do something. I think it'd be smart to do something now while we're still in session. So what they did is updated House Bill 1304. To expand the legal definition of a missing child to include high-risk missing person. Now, this doesn't entirely solve the problem, in my opinion, but it definitely does help. And it passed unanimously on February 9th, 2026, and then was signed into law by Governor Mike Braun in April. Governor Braun also added more protection for minors online by requiring social media apps to get parental consent for users under 16 years old. Braun has signed two bills into law inspired by the death of 17-year-old Haley. She's been in prison for over a year now. She's been Busby. One expands a definition of a missing child to include high-risk missing people. It also extends a silver alert program to missing children. The other adds protections for minors online and strengthens parental control. Social media platforms must now get parental consent for users under 16. The bill was championed by Haley's family after she was reported missing in January. Indiana could be known and placed on the leaderboard across the country as a place that protects its children. And the risk and vulnerability and the threat that's within our homes, our community, and the state will start to dissipate. And so I appreciate all the hard work and the effort and the fight that you guys are taking to it. So thank you. Governor Braun has also been a huge supporter of the Busby family and their efforts from the beginning. And I imagine that he'll be among the many supporters who stand by the Busbys during the 2020 legislative season, which is when they plan to propose Haley's law in full. And as I mentioned, there's more to it than just the alert. So let me keep going. The second element to the law that I mentioned is modern predator and grooming education for students. The Busbys want Indiana schools to require modern predator awareness education. Currently, the state addresses cyberbullying and human trafficking in the curriculum, but there's no requirement for students to be taught about grooming. And this is so, so important if you ask me. I mean, obviously, education doesn't prevent groomers from grooming, but it can prevent children from falling into their traps. And Haley's loved ones are not waiting for laws to pass to start implementing this education. They are holding community events to talk about these dangers, the dangers of social media, and ways that parents can help protect their children. And the third piece of Haley's law is titled the other proactive measures for our children. Now, there are a couple subcategories of this one, but the premise is that the penalties for grooming need to be raised, and online platforms must be made safer, and part of that is holding companies accountable. When law enforcement requests specific user data, social media companies have to act quickly in handing that over, and if they don't, there needs to be consequences. Families also have the right to know just how long these platforms take to respond to law enforcement requests so that they can decide how comfortable they are or aren't with their child using it. There's a 12-page PDF document about Haley's Law that goes into all of this in full detail, which of course I will have linked in the description box slash show notes of this episode. I highly recommend you guys read more about it, especially if you are a parent. I mean, everything they outline is absolutely something that should be made into law. I agree with it fully, and passing these laws begins with education. Speaking of laws, in mid-June, the Haley Act was introduced in the House by Rudy Yacoum. Now, that's Haley in all caps. It's an acronym for High-Risk Alert Improvement for Locating Endangered Youth, which is really cool they were able to make that acronym out of her name. If this act is passed, it's seeking to modernize the response to high-risk missing children. It would allow law enforcement to issue AMBER alerts for minors believed to be high-risk missing persons, even if they can't confirm an abduction right away. Now, to be clear, they are still advocating for the PINK alert, but this improvement to the AMBER alert system just, ensures added protection for high-risk missing youth. There's also a change.org petition with over 137,000 signatures that I'm going to link for you as well that's advocating for this law to be passed. Please, if you have a moment, and I'm sure you do, to quickly sign that petition. That would mean a lot to her family and so many others out there. There are so many things that her family wants to see happen when it comes to protecting children, and I'm just going to so grateful for the work that they're doing for all of us. And it goes beyond Haley's Law. Her family also started a non-profit called Haley's Army for Children, which has a core mission of protecting children and defending their future through online safety advocacy, prevention training, and education that reflects the realities of today's digital world. They also award scholarships that empower young people to lead with courage, kindness, and purpose. This evening, the family of a Fisher's teen is honoring her life by helping other students. Applications are now open for the Haley Paige Busby Pink with a Purpose Scholarship. Fox 59's Scarlett O'Hara explains how it will recognize seniors who lead with care, kindness, and courage. Graduating seniors from Hamilton Southeastern High School here, where Haley Busby walked the halls, where Fisher's High School can now apply for the Pink with a Purpose Scholarship in her honor. She helps so many others feel seen and valued and not alone. And we know that the smallest acts of kindness can have life-saving impacts. Haley's Army for Children isn't looking to only reward star athletes or valedictorians. Through their non-profit, Busby's family wants to make sure the light she poured into her community lives on. Haley, she did have plans in a folder full of pamphlets to go to to look at different colleges. And yeah, that's what we're doing. We're doing it. We're doing it. We're doing it. We're doing it. I think some of it is continuing to support, you know, children and their dreams and the great work that they're doing. Now, her father, Bo Busby, says protecting other kids from internet predators is the core mission of the non-profit. I can't think of a more worthy fight and, you know, I'm sort of just unwilling to accept where things are today. With a community willing to join that fight through fundraisers and donations, Busby says the organization is pulling out training and education programs for parents on internet safety and actively offering support to families of missing children. He wants to continue building on Haley's legacy and expand the scholarship to more schools next year. But for now, Busby says they're taking things day by day. I think it's given hope to a lot of people to see something so, you know, so tragic, but that has given so many a purpose. My team at Higher Hope, we'll be reaching out, like I mentioned earlier, to offer a grant because if there is anything that we can do to help with this, we want to be part of the solution. And it's really inspiring to see the way that they have taken this unbelievable tragedy and turned it into opportunities to help others. And it just blows me away how much they've already accomplished in just a few months. And I also want to give major credit to their community who has really stepped up support for their family. Right after the news of Haley's death broke, their community declared February Go Pink for Haley Month. Pink was her favorite color, and their entire town was just drenched in all things pink to show their family that they're not alone and that Haley's memory lives on. I also made my background pink today. I'm looking at it now and it looks a little purple. The settings are a little bit different. I'm not sure if it's because of the weather, but I'm set to pink, so just know they are pink. I don't know how they're showing up on camera, but I just want their community and her family to know that I support them 100%. I could probably make a 10-minute slideshow with all the photos that I've been able to gather of the pink ribbons and porch lights and bumper stickers. People have seriously showed up for them in more ways than I can count. There was also immense support for them at Haley's Celebration of Life, which took place on February 12th. Now, there is a clip that I want to play from that day, and I think it's important to play, but I do want to warn you, it is incredibly emotional. Beau wrote a message to Haley, and it was read by their pastor, and it just, it will shatter you. Good evening. My name is Chris, and I'm one of the pastors here. On behalf of Haley's father, Beau, I was asked to read this letter. Dear Haley Page, hi, sweetheart. I want you to know that I'm going to be your father. I'm going to be your father. I'm going to be your mother. I'm going to be your You saved me the day you were born, Haley, and you continued to save me every day after that. You gave me a purpose to love and protect you. I will do my very best to share the same love with others, and I will never forget where that love began. I witnessed your love and selflessness every single day. I could not have asked for a more loving, respectful daughter. You mean so much to so many. Your relationship with me has been so important to me. I'm so grateful to you. I'm so with Rania, your little sis, your grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends was something truly special. I continue to hear from others how much you meant to them and the incredible impact you had. You were my shy girl, but your presence was always strong through the kindness, love, and beauty you shared. You always put others first without reservation or complaint. I want you to thank Rania, Sabria, and I know how much you loved us. Please guide me as I try my best to tuck in your sister the way you did every night. And sweetheart, we are at peace knowing that you know just how much you continue to be loved. I know the teenage years were tough at times, but you navigated them with such grace and strength. Like so many others, you may have felt alone at times, despite the love that surrounded you. I know you're not alone. I know that you're not alone. But I want you to know this wasn't your fault. And today, I'm here to show you that you were never alone and you never will be. Lastly, I want you to know that the changes we make going forward will be rooted in the love you brought into the world during your time with us. We will be okay, sweetheart. Please allow yourself to finally rest. We love you. With all my love, your proud dad. And I truly hate that it takes unimaginable, devastating tragedies like the murder of Haley Busby for these conversations to be had. But sometimes that is the stimulus that people need in order to make change. Haley did not deserve what happened to her. And because she isn't here, we need to share her story so that this doesn't happen to any other child. Because justice starts with being heard. And her story is also a reminder to all parents out there that we need to have conversations with each other. And I'm sure that you will. with our own children about the danger that exists online. And I can't necessarily give you a guidebook for that. I'm certainly not qualified to do that. It's definitely not a one conversation fits all kind of thing because every parent-child dynamic is so unique. But I think a good place to start might just be sharing Haley's story. If they are, you know, age-appropriate, and if you feel like can handle that type of thing because I think children learn best from hearing real examples versus just being talked at to really understand the gravity. But there are also so many resources out there for parents to navigate online safety and I will have some of those linked below as well. I think having open discussions about what apps that your kids are using is critical. I think in my opinion, being very informed on exactly what is on your children's device and what is going on within what's on your child's device is just vital. As parents, we have to stay up to date on what features exist on these different social and gaming platforms. And all of this just needs to be approached from a place of support. Obviously, there's a balance where you don't want your child to feel. Terrified or overly policed. But yeah, I mean, I don't have all the answers or solutions. And like I said, I haven't even gotten to this stage of my parenting journey yet. But I think it's just something that parents should really be thinking about if your children are there and thinking about if they're not there because they'll be there before you know it. And having these conversations with them and allowing them to open up and recognize you as a safe place is the best way to start. Because if they do end up in a dangerous situation, you want them to make sure that they don't feel like they have nobody to turn to. I would also suggest maybe contacting your local school district to ask if they offer any internet grooming education or any other public service out there that maybe offers it. I think it's very important that kids learn what the grooming cycle looks like so that they can identify it on their own. And what better place to educate them than in their school curriculum? And I know this wouldn't apply to homeschooled children, but I'm sure there are also programs and resources available for parents in the homeschooling world as well. For example, the Child Rescue Coalition is an incredible nonprofit that offers resources and guidance on how to facilitate these conversations. So I'll definitely have their page specifically linked below for you. They also have a great article breaking down how to talk to your kids based on their grade level, as well as a parent study guide to managing kids' technology, which is a resource I recommend every parent downloads. I'm also going to link the Facebook page associated with Haley's Army, which is constantly posting about case updates and events. I mentioned before, but they've hosted events regarding online safety, but they've also hosted several others to raise awareness for Haley's Law, including Harley's for Haley's, which is a motorcycle ride and pretty cool. This page is filled with tons of information, education, and more, and I would love it if you guys gave them a follow to show your support. I know it'll mean a lot to them. So I'll see you in the next video. Bye! I'm also going to link their GoFundMe for you guys as well, and anyone that's able to donate, those funds will go towards supporting their cause. They're also selling merch with a goal of raising awareness for Haley's case and Haley's Law, where each item represents a commitment to protecting children, supporting families, and creating safer communities. Though Haley is no longer with us, I know she is with her friends and family in every pink sunset, every pink bumper sticker, every porch light, every moment that they continue to act. And as a parent, I am eternally grateful to them and so many others that are leading the charge. Thank you so much to those of you who listened to this whole episode. I know it was very info-heavy, very heavy in general, and we went over just a lot of information, and I really appreciate those of you who stuck with me through this. I think it's such important, um, discussion to have, and I'm curious to see some of the comments on this episode and hear any ideas from other parents. Uh, you know, that's always super, super valuable to me and so many others. And another thing I wanted to mention is my company, Mile Hard Media, we have launched new summer merch, and we have created some really cute, uh, beautiful, fun pieces that is all launching Friday, June 19th. So, it will actually already, um, be out by the time that this episode goes up. But all proceeds, 100% of our merch from any of our shows, literally anything on our website, 100% of that money goes towards the Higher Hope Foundation. And 100% of everything that is put towards the Higher Hope Foundation, as far as donations and merch, goes directly towards funding grants. So, that is, all of it is going to go into the hands of victims, their families, and also like-minded non-profits. And, you know, this could, some of that could potentially go to Haley's family and, um, some of the amazing work that they're doing. So, if you felt inspired by this episode, or if you are a true crime consumer, and you would like to support our efforts there, I would really, really appreciate it. You know, it's kind of a cool thing that you can treat yourself to merch that, you know, you like, that appeals to you, while also giving back to victims at the end of the day. I think that's really important as a consumer of true crime content to do. And as always, if you want to check out any of the work that we are doing through Higher Hope, you can do so at higherhope.org or follow our social media, which I will have linked below. It'll be on screen as well. And of course, if you're interested in learning more about what we do at Higher Hope and the grants that we've already processed, what we have coming up, you can check it out at higherhope.org or check us out on Instagram. Higher Hope Org is our handle. We also have started putting out an e-newsletter that's packed with information and information about what we're specifically doing. And I would love for you guys to support our work because I really believe in my foundation, and I think we're doing some incredible things. I'm incredibly proud of it, and none of it would be possible without all of you. So, thank you. All right, guys, that is going to be it for me today. I will be back next week, of course, to discuss another case. But until then, stay safe out there. Bye-bye. Thank you.