Authorities say the 17-year-old was safely located after disappearing from Columbus, while a Springfield man now faces a custody-related charge.
SPRINGFIELD, OH — A teenage girl who had been missing from Columbus for more than eight months has been found alive, bringing an end to a search that increasingly focused on the Springfield area and prompting a criminal case against a man authorities accuse of keeping her from her lawful custodian.
Rayina Lynn Haddox, now 17, had been missing since Dec. 2, 2025, according to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office. State authorities said she was 16 when she disappeared from Columbus and warned during the search that she might travel to Springfield, about 45 miles west of the city. ABC 6 reported Sept. 11 that Haddox was found after 263 days in the home of a former teacher. Publicly available information reviewed for this report does not establish the precise circumstances in which officers located her.
The criminal investigation has since shifted to Springfield. Clark County Municipal Court records described in local reporting show Jobe Binkley was charged with one count of interference with custody. The allegation is that Binkley knowingly kept or harbored a child away from a parent, guardian or other lawful custodian. The charge is an allegation, and the available court information does not establish that Binkley has been convicted of wrongdoing in connection with Haddox’s disappearance.
Haddox was last seen in Columbus on Dec. 2 wearing a gray hoodie and black pants, according to the state missing-child notice. The Ohio Attorney General’s Office listed her as 5 feet, 5 inches tall and weighing about 132 pounds, with black hair and green eyes. The notice specifically said she might travel to Springfield and instructed anyone who located her not to approach but to immediately contact law enforcement.
Concern about Haddox’s possible presence in Springfield grew during the summer. An Aug. 4 report by the Springfield Champion Sentinel described a family-led effort that believed the teenager was being kept inside a Springfield-area residence by an adult man. At the time, however, law enforcement had not publicly confirmed those claims, and the report made clear that the theory came from the family campaign rather than an official investigative finding.
By early September, the case had changed substantially. A Sept. 3 report said Haddox had been safely located and was no longer in danger. It also reported that Clark County Municipal Court had issued a warrant for Binkley on Aug. 27 on the interference-with-custody charge. Court filings cited in that report described the period involved in the alleged offense as 263 days. The exact date Haddox was recovered was not specified in the public records cited by the report.
The description of Binkley as a former teacher is supported by public employment records showing a Jobe Binkley working for the Springfield City School District. State-linked payroll databases list him in a teacher assignment through 2025. ABC 6’s latest report described the residence where Haddox was found as the home of a former teacher. Available official records reviewed for this article do not independently establish the nature or duration of any prior student-teacher relationship between Haddox and Binkley, so that relationship remains unconfirmed here.
The 263-day figure also carries some uncertainty in the public timeline. Haddox’s official missing-child record gives Dec. 2, 2025, as the date she disappeared. A local report noted that the period from that date to the Aug. 27 court filing is longer than 263 days, suggesting the court allegation may use different beginning or ending dates than the broader missing-person chronology. Authorities have not publicly explained that difference in the materials reviewed.
The case now centers on the criminal investigation and the circumstances surrounding the months Haddox was missing. Earlier reporting said investigators were seeking information from people who might know about Binkley’s actions during that period or before it. No additional criminal charges were confirmed in the reliable public records reviewed for this article, and authorities have not publicly released a complete account of how Haddox was located or what investigators believe occurred during her disappearance.
Haddox’s safe recovery closes the missing-person portion of the case, but the legal and investigative questions remain unresolved. The interference-with-custody allegation will proceed separately through the court system, where prosecutors would have to prove any charge beyond a reasonable doubt. Authorities have not publicly released further verified details about the teenager’s condition or circumstances following her recovery.
Author note: Last updated September 11, 2026.