Missing Zanesville Man’s Mother Speaks Out

Hardin’s family is left grieving and holding onto the memory of the quiet, young man they knew.

His mother, Kim Saunders, says the initial shock of his death first left her in tears.

"I’m now angry. I’m really angry because it was senseless. There was no need in it, " says Saunders.

But she says she started to sense the trouble surrounding her son.

"I’ve had my suspicions all along. I did pass some of my suspicions onto Tyler, but you know when your children turn 19, all you can do is pray that they listen to you. Unfortunately for us, he didn’t listen, " says Saunders.

Saunders believes her son’s death stems from a paternity test he took about a year ago, which is when Hardin found out he was the father of a two-year-old girl.

"He spent as much time with her as he could, take care of her, and was really excited about being a dad. He thought it was just the coolest thing. He was doing a good job so far. That’s all he wanted. Unfortunately, other people thought it was necessary he be taken out of the picture, " says Saunders.

Saunders and the Muskingum County Sheriff’s Office would not give any further details about the events surrounding Hardin’s death.