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Body of Missing Teen Finally Found After Meeting Man Through Online Gaming | Crime House 24/7
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Hey there. We're Sabrina d' Anarroga and Corinne Vian, hosts of Crimes of. Crimes of is a weekly true crime series with each season diving into a different theme, from unsolved murders to mysterious disappearances and the cases that haunt us most. And since it's Valentine's season, we are unpacking Crimes of Passion. When love turns into obsession, passion twists into paranoia, and jealousy drives people beyond the edge of reason. Crimes of is a Crime House original. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or watch on YouTube. New episodes every Tuesday.
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This is Crime House. Good morning everyone. We have multiple breaking true crime cases this morning that you need to know about. And we're starting with the biggest one. A suspect is now in custody in the case of a missing Indiana teen whose body was found in rural Ohio after she vanished following an online gaming meetup. This is crime house 24 7, your non stop source for the biggest crime cases developing right now. Make sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Vanessa Richardson and we have quite a lineup for you today. Here's what you need to know.
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Hey Sal. Hank. What's going on? We haven't worked a case in years. I just bought my car at Carvana and it was so easy. Too easy. Think something's up? You tell me. They got thousands of options, found a great car at a great price. Uh huh. And it got delivered the next day. It sounds like Carvana just makes it easy to buy your car, Hank. Yeah, you're right. Case closed.
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Buy your car today on Carvana. Delivery fees may apply.
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The Fisher Police Department in Ohio has confirmed that a suspect directed officers to the body of missing 17 year old Haley Busby. Authorities identified the suspect as 39 year old Tyler Thomas, who is now in custody as investigators work to determine how a weeks long missing persons case ended in the death of an Indiana teenager. Busby had been reported missing in early January after she failed to return home, setting off a search that would have eventually stretch beyond the state. As days passed with no sign of her, investigators expanded their focus, examining both physical leads and her digital footprint. Police say the connection between Busby and Thomas began online through multiplayer gaming platforms, where the two communicated regularly before ever meeting in person. Investigators have not publicly identified the specific game or platform involved. However, police confirmed that digital records tied to online gaming helped establish contact between Busby and Thomas. According to family members, Busby had been spending time gaming online and chatting with people she met through those platforms in the weeks leading up to her disappearance. As the search intensified, detectives examined Busby's online activity, including gaming accounts, private messages and communication logs, to determine who she'd been speaking with and whether she had plans to meet someone in person. That digital trail ultimately led investigators to Thomas. During that time, Busby's family members cooperated with investigators and publicly appealed for information. Loved ones described her as a teenager who was close with her family and active online but not known to run away. Search efforts expanded across Indiana and into neighboring states, with investigators following tips, reviewing surveillance footage and retracing possible travel routes. Authorities have said the volume of information coming in required careful vetting as detectives work to separate credible leads from speculation. During a press conference on February 1, law enforcement revealed that they located Busby's body in a rural area of Perry County, Ohio, on January 26, a discovery that shifted the case fully from a missing person investigation to a homicide inquiry. In the days that followed, investigators continued gathering evidence and conducting interviews across state lines. That work culminated on January 31st when Thomas was taken into custody. During a February 1st press conference, Fisher's police said that after Thomas was taken into custody, he provided information that connected him to the location associated with Busby's death. Authorities described that development as significant, while noting that forensic testing and evidence review remain ongoing. Investigators have not said what prompted Thomas to provide information connecting him to the location where Busby's body was found or whether that disclosure was part of an interview following Thomas's arrest. Investigators confirmed that Thomas was being held on additional felony charges unrelated to the homicide investigation, including tampering with evidence and pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor. Prosecutors emphasized that those charges are not the final accounting of the case and said additional counts could still be filed as evidence continues to be reviewed. Investigators have not said where Busby was during the weeks between her disappearance and the recovery of her body or when exactly she died. They have also not released a cause of death or detailed the circumstances surrounding Busby's final moments. Investigators have also not disclosed when or where Busby and Thomas first met in person or how long they'd been communicating online prior to her disappearance. Law enforcement officials say those details are expected to emerge through court filings as prosecutors review the evidence and determine next steps. Detectives continue to analyze digital data, physical evidence and witness statements as part of what they describe as an ongoing and evolving case. For Busby's family. The developments over the weekend brought devastating confirmation after weeks of uncertainty. What began as a search fueled by hope ended with the recovery of her body and the realization that a relationship formed entirely online. May have placed her in danger far from home. Law enforcement officials have said the case case underscores the risks associated with online only relationships, particularly those formed through gaming platforms. Investigators urged parents and guardians to remain aware of who teens are communicating with online, noting how quickly digital connections can move offline. Authorities have not publicly commented on whether additional individuals could face charges, and they continue urging anyone with information related to the case to come forward. Family members of Busby have thanked investigators and the public for their support while asking for privacy as the case continues. From an online connection turned fatal encounter, we shift to Northern Virginia, where a different kind of online association led to a double homicide. A jury has delivered its verdict in the closely watched Banfield murder trial. On February 2, 2026, a Virginia jury found Brendan Banfield guilty of aggravated murder for the killings of his wife and another man in February 2023. The case is widely referred to as the au pair affair. Banfield, now 38 years old, was charged with first degree murder in the deaths of 37 year old Christine Banfield and 39 year old Joseph Ryan who were found fatally shot inside the Banfield's prosecutors alleged the killings were the result of an illicit relationship involving Brendan Banfield and the couple's former au pair. Investigators say Banfield found Joseph Ryan on a fetish focused website and lured him to the house under false pretenses to stage the murder of his wife. The case has drawn intense attention not only for its alleged love triangle motive, but for the unusual digital trail prosecutors say connects the players. Christine Banfield was found dead in the upstairs bedroom. Joseph Ryan was found shot in the basement. Brendan Banfield told police he returned home to find the victims already dead and claimed he shot Ryan in self defense during a struggle. However, prosecutors say that version of events does not hold up. Banfield's four year old daughter was also home at the time of the killings. According to the Commonwealth, Banfield was involved in a secret relationship with 25 year old Juliana Perez Maglaj, a Brazilian national who had previously worked as the family's au pair. Prosecutors allege Banfield and Maglahes worked together to lure Ryan Maglahe's former boyfriend to the house using a fake online profile where Ryan believed he was engaging with women interested in role play. During the trial, jurors heard extensive testimony about online catfishing, burner accounts and communications prosecutors say were used to manipulate Ryan into coming to the Banfield home on the night he was killed. Investigators testified that digital evidence including phone records and online messages messages placed Banfield at the center of that planning. Juliana Perez Maglajes was initially charged with second degree murder in connection with the deaths ahead of the trial. She has pleaded guilty to manslaughter and will receive time served for testifying against Banfield. Banfield's defense has pushed back forcefully, arguing that the state's case is built on speculation rather than proof. Defense attorneys say there's no physical evidence tying Banfield to a coordinated plot and maintain that his account account of returning home to a violent confrontation is credible. In a dramatic moment during the trial, Brendan Banfield took the stand in his own defense, telling jurors he loved his wife and had no role in her death. He denied orchestrating Ryan's killing and insisted he acted in fear for his life when he fired the gun. Jurors also heard testimony from law enforcement officers, forensic experts and digital analysts as both sides walked through the physical evidence recovered from the home and the extensive digital records that underpin the prosecution's theory. After closing arguments, the case was formally turned over to the jury on February 2. Jurors returned to the courthouse to continue deliberations and, before the day ended, came back with a verdict. Legal analysts say the jury's task was complex, deciding whether prosecutors proved beyond a reasonable doubt that Banfield planned the killings or whether the defense's claim of an unplanned chaotic encounter creates reasonable doubt. Banfield was charged in February 2023 and formally arrested in October 2023, months after investigators continued building the case. Currently, Banfield is scheduled to be sentenced on May 8 and faces the possibility of life in prison. We're closely following this case here at Crime House 24 7, and we will continue bringing you updates. While Brandon Banfield waits to learn his fate in Virginia, we move back to Ohio, where another courtroom is ex examining a marriage unraveling into violence in the deadly divorce murder trial of William Long.
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Is set to begin today in the aggravated murder case against 51 year old William Long Jr. Who prosecutors say shot his ex wife in November 2023. Long faces life in prison if convicted in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court in Lisbon, Ohio. Long is charged with aggravated murder in connection with the November 29, 2023 death of his ex wife, 50 year old Michelle A. Long, A and stem teacher who prosecutors say was shot while she sat in her pickup truck outside her home in Butler Township. If convicted on the aggravated murder charge, prosecutors say Long could face life in prison. Authorities alleged that Shortly after a 9:28pm 911 call reporting gunshots, deputies with the Colombiana County Sheriff's Office arrived at a Cary Road residence and found Michelle Long inside her vehicle with a fatal gunshot wound. The couple had recently finalized their divorce and were involved in ongoing legal proceedings at the time of her death, according to court filings and law enforcement accounts. Long was indicted in May 2024 by a Colombiana county grand jury on aggravated murder and murder charges, plus a first degree felony firearm count in connection with the shooting. Since then, pre trial proceedings have focused on evidence challenges filed by the defense. On January 17, a judge denied two motions brought by Long's attorneys, one to exclude cell phone mapping evidence and another to obtain broader vehicle registration data, leaving prosecutors free to use those materials in the state's case. Earlier rulings in 2025 also rejected the defense's request to suppress evidence that had been seized under search warrants, including items taken from Long's home digital devices and his 2019 Chevrolet pickup truck. The court found there was probable cause to support those warrants during the investigation. Prosecutors also filed notices saying they intend to present recordings from the victim's phone that contain exchanges between William and Michelle, describing those recordings as relevant to issues including opportunity, meaning whether Long had the ability or the access to commit the crime, and knowledge whether Long knew certain facts that the prosecution argues are relevant to the timeline or circumstances of the alleged crime. Today's proceedings begin with jury selection, and once a jury is seated, opening statements are expected to follow. Up to this point, Long's defense has challenged several pieces of evidence but has not succeeded in keeping them out of the case. Because the trial is just getting underway, judges can still rule on additional evidentiary issues as testimony unfolds. The burden of proof now rests with estate. For now, Long remains in custody on a $1.5 million bond. We'll continue to bring updates as this trial develops, but shifting now from developments in the courtroom to an unusual scene captured on video at a Southern California theme park, where a man's behavior during a Universal Studios Hollywood tram tour left other visitors in shock. A family outing at one of Southern California's most popular theme parks took an unexpected turn over the weekend. On January 31, 2026, a man reportedly removed his clothes during the Universal Studios Hollywood's signature tram tour, an attraction that takes guests behind the scenes on the studio backlot. According to passengers on the tram, the tour came to a stop and the man exited the vehicle before removing his clothes in front of more than 150, including families and children. One witness named Gabriel told reporters at KTLA that the man appeared to be under the influence of alcohol or drugs and at times was seen rolling on the ground and taunting the employees before park security took him into custody. Video from the scene circulated widely on social media and shows the man undressed, with security personnel attempting to detain him. A passenger reported that it took roughly 15 minutes for park security to arrive and remove the individual from the area. The witness said, quote, we received apologies from the driver and the hosts of the experience and I believe that although they did their best to handle the situation, procedures should definitely be re evaluated. It should not have been allowed to escalate to that level of intensity. Authorities have not yet released the man's identity or confirmed whether any criminal charges will be filed. It's currently unclear what, if any, charges he may face in connection with the incident. After the disturbance, Universal Studios provided express lane passes to the guests who were aboard the tram, and park officials issued apologies to those in attendance but have not commented publicly. Lastly, let me tell you about what else is happening at Crime House today. If you haven't checked out Crimes of Recently, Sabrina and Corinne are jumping into the second half of their season exploring crimes of passion. Today they're covering the infamous Candy Montgomery case. If you aren't familiar, I promise I won't spoil it for you. Before you head to Crimes of for this Must Listen episode, let's take a look at some equally fascinating cases out of the Lone Star State. Texas crime stories don't just unfold in headlines. They stretch across highways, small towns, and decades of memory. The state's size, independence and mythology shape the crimes that happen here and how they're remembered. To really understand why Texas holds such a powerful place in true crime history, we're focusing on three infamous Texas crimes, each one detailed, distinct and unforgettable. Number one Sam Bass and the Round Rock shootout in 1878, long before Texas crime involved squad cars and sirens, it involved horses, trains and men whose names traveled faster than the law. Sam Bass started out as a cattle driver. Like many young men in post Civil War Texas, he chased opportunity wherever he could find it. By the mid-1870s, that opportunity turned criminal. Bass and his associates began robbing stagecoaches and trains quickly earning a reputation for boldness and violence. His most infamous crime came on July 19, 1878 in Round Rock, Texas. Bass and his gang planned to rob the Williamson county bank in broad daylight. It was an audacious move, even by outlaw standards. The robbery unraveled almost immediately when Bass was recognized on the street by law enforcement. A confrontation escalated into a gunfight that echoed through town. Two Lawmen, Deputy Sheriff A.W. grimes and Sheriff John B. Armstrong, were shot during the chaos. Grimes later died from his wounds. Bass managed to flee but was badly injured. He died two days later, just short of his 27th birthday. What followed was something Texas crime history does often myth making. Despite the deadly Outcome. Bass was immortalized in ballads and folklore as a daring outlaw. His story became shorthand for the wild west version of Texas, where crimes were public, fast and and final. But behind the legend were real victims. Families left without fathers and husbands and a town forever marked by a few violent minutes on its streets. Number two, Bonnie and Clyde's Texas crime spree from 1932 to 1934. If Sam Bass represents Texas's outlaw past, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow represent its leap into modern criminal celebrity. During the early 1930s, Texas was deep in depression. Jobs were scarce, banks were resented, and public sympathy for criminals, at least at first, was easier to come by. Between 1932 and 1934, Bonnie and Clyde committed a series of robberies across North Texas and beyond, targeting small banks, gas stations, and grocery stores. They stole cars, evaded police, and left a growing trail of violence behind them. What set Bonnie and Clyde apart wasn't just the crimes. It was the publicity. Photographs of Bonnie posing with a cigar and a gun were published nationwide. Newspapers framed them as rebellious lovers on the run. But the reality was far less romantic. The pair killed multiple people, including at least nine law enforcement officers. Many victims were ambushed or shot during traffic stops. Communities across Texas lived in fear, unsure where the pair would strike. Their spree ended on May 23, 1934, when Bonnie and Clyde were ambushed and killed by law enforcement officers in Louisiana. But Texas is where much of their story began and where their legacy still lingers. Their crimes force the public to confront how easily violence can be glamorized and how quickly criminals can become icons when their image overshadows their actions. Number three. Henry Lee Lucas and the murders that haunted Texas highways from the 1970s to the 1980s. Texas crime didn't stay rooted in the past. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, fear took a different shape, one tied to highways, hitchhiking, and strangers who could disappear as easily as they appeared. Henry Lee Lucas was arrested in 1983 and eventually convicted of multiple murders, including the killing of Kate Rich in Georgetown, Texas. Lucas became infamous not only for the crimes he was convicted of, but for what came next. A staggering number of confessions. He claimed responsibility for hundreds of murders across the United States, many allegedly committed while traveling through Texas. For a time, Lucas was described as one of the most prolific serial killers in American history. But as investigators and journalists looked closer, cracks appeared. Many of Lucas's confessions didn't align with physical evidence, timelines, or confirmed locations. Some were later proven impossible. What remains undisputed is that real victims existed, real families lost loved ones. And for years, fear traveled alongside Lucas's name, especially in Texas, where long stretches of road can feel isolating even in daylight. Lucas's case remains infamous because it blurs the line between truth and fiction, reminding us how easily notoriety can distort reality and how careful true crime storytelling must be to avoid doing the same. These three cases span more than a century of Texas history, but they share familiar public crimes, open spaces, criminals who became legends, and victims whose stories risk being overshadowed by notoriety. Texas crime history reflects the state itself vast, complex, and impossible to reduce to a single narrative. Now head over to Crimes of to hear Sabrina and Corinne dive into the Candy Montgomery case. It's a very different kind of Texas crime story, but one that proves the Lone Star State continues to produce cases that demand and closer examination. You've been listening to crime house 247 bringing you breaking crime news. I'm Vanessa Richardson. We'll be back tomorrow morning with more developing stories. Stay safe and thanks for listening.
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