Summary
Highlights
In January 2016, a woman walking her dog in Mercer County discovered a human spine, launching a lengthy investigation. Despite a DNA profile, the victim's identity remained unknown until 2020, when a cold case agent linked it to a missing person's case in Columbus, Ohio. The remains were identified as 21-year-old Ryan Zimmerman, who had been reported missing in November 2015. Police informed Ryan's father, Warren, that Ryan had been dismembered with saw marks, and his skull, lower legs, and arms were missing.
Police tracked down Sarah Buzzard, Jen Whitaker, and Corey Buzzard, who lived with Ryan before his disappearance. Sarah and Jen, now married, were approached by officers. Sarah was initially arrested on an outstanding theft warrant from Ohio. During her interrogation, Sarah explained that Ryan, known to them as Emma, moved in with her and her then-husband Corey after Corey met Ryan online. Jen was also approached by detectives, and a search warrant for their residence was executed due to the missing person's case.
Sarah and Jen initially claimed Ryan moved out in September 2015, with Sarah stating he left in a car. Later, Jen admitted to driving Ryan's car after he had supposedly left and it broke down, leading to it being towed. This corroborated Warren's earlier information about Ryan's abandoned car. Detectives revealed that bloodstains were found in the trunk of Sarah's old car, and latent blood residue was found in the apartment, particularly in the bathroom, where Ryan lived. Overwhelmed, Sarah eventually asked for a lawyer, while Jen continued to deny any knowledge.
Confronted with her Google search history, which showed searches related to starting Ryan's car, Sarah began to unravel. She confessed that she got angry, choked Ryan, and when he stopped moving, she didn't know what to do. Sarah then claimed that Jen helped her dismember the body in the bathtub using a saw from the shed. Jen, however, vehemently denied involvement, despite the detectives telling her Sarah had confessed everything.
Sarah detailed how she and Jen planned to dispose of Ryan's body. They loaded his dismembered remains into a Tupperware bin in Ryan's car, intending to abandon it in Illinois. When the car broke down, they transferred the bin to Sarah's car and disposed of his limbs in public dumpsters along the way. While Sarah was being processed with charges including tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse, Jen, during her interview, pulled a handgun from her purse and took her own life after being confronted with Sarah's confession and physical evidence.
Months later, Sarah, with her lawyer's consent, gave a new confession, shifting the blame to Jen (whom she now referred to as Naira). Sarah claimed Jen planned Ryan's murder, gathering tools like bleach and a handsaw. Sarah stated Jen held a bleach-soaked rag over Ryan's face while Sarah held him down. Jen then decapitated Ryan and placed his head in the freezer. Sarah claimed she then dismembered some of his limbs at the joints and packaged them up. This version revealed Ryan's decapitated head was hidden in the freezer behind frozen vegetables while Corey was still living in the house.
Sarah explained Jen's motive: Jen believed Ryan didn't deserve to be in the world, particularly because he claimed to be transitioning but didn't put in the effort, which bothered Jen, who herself was a transgender woman. Sarah also discussed artworks she created, one depicting a dismembered lamb titled 'sacrificial lamb' and another of a mermaid holding a human head titled 'till death do us part,' both created around the time of the murder, serving as coping mechanisms. Sarah admitted she initially tried to protect Jen. In January 2022, Sarah Buzzard pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years.