I have attended a number of news conferences during my years in journalism. The one held Sunday evening, February 1, is not to be forgotten.
Hailey Buzbee, a 17-year-old student at Hamilton Southeastern High School, had been missing for nearly a month. Her disappearance drew nationwide attention and, over those weeks, hope persisted within her family and throughout the Fishers community.
That hope was shattered when Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness stepped before the assembled media and delivered the news no one wanted to hear. To his credit, the mayor did not delegate that responsibility. He stood there himself and said police believed Hailey was “deceased.” The word was clinical, but the meaning was devastating.
Mayor Fadness spoke about Hailey, about conversations with her family, and about the kind of person she was. It was a moment marked by compassion and gravity, and it underscored the weight of what this loss means—not only for Hailey’s loved ones, but for an entire community.
Counselors at local high schools have been working with students processing the news. High school is a time when friendships are immediate and intense. To know a fellow student one month, and to learn the next that she is gone forever, is extraordinarily difficult to comprehend.
Based on a number of news reports available Monday, Hailey’s body was recovered in Ohio the same day as the news conference in Fishers. Her family now faces the unimaginable task of planning her funeral.
From what is known so far, law enforcement agencies—including the Fishers Police Department, Ohio authorities, Indiana State Police, and the FBI—appear to have acted diligently and professionally. Investigators believe Hailey died only days after her disappearance.
I will not dwell on the person of interest or the details of what occurred. Instead, I choose to focus on what must come next. We all have a responsibility to learn from this tragedy and to do what we can to prevent something like it from happening again.
I am the father of twin daughters. They are adults now, but that does not dull the pain I feel for Hailey’s family. Losing a child is a burden no parent should have to carry. As a community, we must surround this family with support and remind them—clearly and often—that they are not alone.
I understand Hailey’s family is advocating for a change in Indiana law. I do not claim to know enough to say whether such a change is necessary, but I respect their intentions and wish them strength in that effort.
There is, however, something all of us can do. Within our own families and circles of friends, we can be more vigilant. We can talk with our young people—especially our daughters—about awareness, safety, and the steps they can take to protect themselves.
My heart goes out to Hailey Buzbee, her family, and everyone who loved her. I do not know all the right words for a moment like this. Perhaps it is enough to say this: let us honor Hailey by pledging to do better, to look out for one another, and to move forward together.
