Police in Fishers, Indiana, are urgently searching for Hailey Buzbee, a high school junior who has been missing since early January.
She is now classified as an endangered runaway, amid growing concern that she may have left home with the assistance of another person.
Hailey, a student at Fishers High School, was last seen during the night of January 5 or the early morning hours of January 6, according to her family and local authorities.
Her disappearance came to light when her mother, acting on what she described as an unusual sense of worry, checked Hailey’s bedroom earlier than usual and found it empty. There were no immediate signs of struggle, and the household reported that the previous evening had appeared normal.
Fishers Police say they believe Hailey did not leave on her own. Investigators now suspect she may have been helped by someone, a factor that prompted authorities to escalate her status from a runaway to an endangered runaway.
Additional concern arose when friends discovered that all of Hailey’s social media accounts were deleted or wiped on Jan. 6, the same day she was reported missing. A classmate told investigators that attempts to contact Hailey through Snapchat failed because her account no longer existed.
The case has gained wider attention after Ashley Flowers, host of the popular true-crime podcast Crime Junkie, shared details of Hailey’s disappearance on Instagram, urging the public to assist law enforcement. Flowers explained that Hailey’s family is not angry and is focused solely on confirming her safety.
According to her parents, their message to Hailey is simple: she is loved, she is not in trouble, and whatever challenges she may be facing can be resolved.
Fishers Police are asking anyone with information about Hailey Buzbee’s whereabouts, or about who may have assisted her in leaving, to contact the Fishers Police Department immediately. Authorities stress that even small details could be critical to ensuring her safe return.
The investigation remains active, and officials say protecting Hailey’s safety is their top priority.
