An Ohio teenager who had been missing for 263 days was found alive inside the home of a former science teacher identified as 48-year-old Jobe Binkley.
The girl, 16- or 17-year-old Rayina Lynn Haddox, according to different reports, had disappeared on December 2, 2025, after leaving a temporary housing center for young people in Columbus. For months, her family insisted that she might be at Binkley’s home and even reportedly provided photographs that supposedly showed her inside the house.
However, according to court documents, authorities were unable to enter the property during two previous visits. Binkley reportedly denied that the teenager was there.
On August 21, 2026, an operation by the U.S. Marshals Service finally arrived at the house. This time, the man acknowledged that the girl was inside and called for her to come out.
Binkley was arrested and charged with interference with the custody of a minor, a first-degree misdemeanor. He pleaded not guilty and was released on bail. For now, authorities have not publicly confirmed exactly what the relationship between the two was or whether any other crimes occurred.
The family, however, accuses the former teacher of taking advantage of the teenager’s emotional situation. It also questions why its warnings did not prompt a faster investigation.
Binkley had been suspended twice while working in the Springfield school district and was fired in February 2025 for violating rules related to the use of technology, although the district said it was unaware of allegations involving this teenager.
The investigation continues as authorities review electronic devices and other records to determine whether additional charges could be filed.