CA MELODEE BUZZARD: Missing from Vandenberg Village, CA - 9 Oct 2025 - Age 9 *Found Deceased*

https://ktla.com/news/california/california-authorities-launch-search-for-girl-who-hasnt-been-seen-in-at-least-1-year/

California authorities launch search for girl who hasn’t been seen in at least 1 year​

Authorities in Santa Barbara County launched a search for a 9-year-old girl who has not been seen in a year, and who has not been seen in a photograph in two.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office began searching for Melodee Buzzard on Tuesday after a school administrator reported she hadn’t been at school in quite some time.

Deputies attempted to contact Melodee and her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, at their home in Lompoc, but the elementary school student was not there, and “no clear explanation was provided for her whereabouts.”

Although the missing persons case is only one-day-old, detectives have been unable to confirm a single recent sighting in about a year. The most recent photograph they were able to locate was taken at least two years ago, officials said.

The Sheriff’s Office is urging anyone with information about Melodee, potential sightings or contact in the past year, to come forward.

“Even small details may be critical in helping investigators ensure her safety,” the Sheriff’s Office wrote in a news release.


Media - MELODEE BUZZARD: Missing from Vandenberg Village, CA - 2024 - Age 9

 

[Kimster]

Do you have a link? I'm not finding anything...

I'm searching X to no avail, too.

 

[RoundPeg]

 

[RoundPeg]

 

[RoundPeg]

Do those work for anyone?

 

[Kimster]

This one looks to me like she took a key off her keyring and gave it to the man.

 

[Kimster]

Custody? Or questioning?

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Custody? Or questioning?

Yeahhh there's not even any indication on who took her. She was not handcuffed and sat in the front seat.
Doesn't sound like she's "in custody" to me. Sounds like a nosy neighbor (or someone else) took a video and assumed a lot.

 

[Tresir]

This one looks to me like she took a key off her keyring and gave it to the man.

Yep she gave it to him and he handed it to another person then she went off with that first guy.

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

This is the group it's all coming from. Whole lotta speculation, IMO.
Could she be "in custody"? Sure. Could it also be a whole host of other things? Yep.

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[Guess Who]

Yeahhh there's not even any indication on who took her. She was not handcuffed and sat in the front seat.
Doesn't sound like she's "in custody" to me. Sounds like a nosy neighbor (or someone else) took a video and assumed a lot.

And no labeling of the vehicle or the people that supposedly took her "in custody".

 

[Kimster]

I'm going to guess that its child protective services. That's usually the first line of offense in the California system when a child appears to be missing/truant, etc.

 

[Kimster]

I didn't know what the PP meant on the license plate and here's the explanation per Google AI:

"PP" on a California license plate stands for Press Photographer. It is a special plate issued to individuals regularly employed as photographers for news organizations. These plates are rare and are marked with a "PP" in a triangle on the left side of the plate

 

[Guess Who]

I'm going to guess that its child protective services. That's usually the first line of offense in the California system when a child appears to be missing/truant, etc.

Here they at least required to wear id badges. Seems like this would be the case everywhere for safety reasons. Not sure if the cars are marked though.

 

[Kimster]

Someone tweeted something about it on X now, but it was less info than we have here. They aren't sure what's going on, either.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Probably CPS as Banfield said the order to produce came from CPS. However, maybe at that point, LE takes over if not produced. Hard to say.

She certainly was not cuffed and seemed to go willingly.

It's been so quiet, either way it is good to see some activity on the case.

 

[Kimster]

Probably CPS as Banfield said the order to produce came from CPS. However, maybe at that point, LE takes over if not produced. Hard to say.

She certainly was not cuffed and seemed to go willingly.

It's been so quiet, either way it is good to see some activity on the case.

I was happy to see some action on it, too. WHERE IS MELODEE?

 

[GrandmaBear]

I was happy to see some action on it, too. WHERE IS MELODEE?

I'm trying to maintain hope that she just doesn't want to lose her child (to CPS or some such).

However, I can't help but think of Lori and of Casey where both lied about the whereabouts of children and they had murdered them. Or Lori where she failed to produce and this is so reminiscent of that. None were good outcomes. And so it is tough maintaining that hope that she just hid her with someone.

BUT why would she go so many states away to do harm or dispose? I mean she could have went half that far and been well out of the area... That gives me some hope.

I don't know but we need answers.

I remember the WHERE ARE THE CHILDREN?? In Lori's. Your WHERE IS MELODEE reminds me of that and that's what is happening with this case. It's some real deja vue. Don't know that I spelled that right

 

[Tresir]

Maybe CPS alert the press so it can be covered on camera in case anything goes wrong. I would have thought they would have a police car there but this isn't an actual arrest as such, as she appears to hand her key over (house key?) voluntarily.

Remembering too though that press (Nate EIN) was tipped off about the Hawaii arrest of Lori.

 

[Guess Who]

California requirement to wear id badges

California regulations require Child Welfare Services personnel who serve the public to wear ID badges visibly at all times while on duty, according to
Cal. Code Regs., Tit. 22, § 73529. This rule is part of the California Code of Regulations and applies to personnel in various public-facing roles, unless there is a specific reason not to.

• Requirement: California law mandates that all personnel who serve the public must wear an identification badge showing their name and title, per Cal. Code Regs., Tit. 22, § 73529.
• Reason: The purpose of the regulation is to ensure public and employee safety by clearly identifying who is authorized to be in a certain area or to perform certain duties.
• Exceptions: The regulation allows for exceptions, but only when there is a "contraindication" that would make it unsafe to wear a badge.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Maybe CPS alert the press so it can be covered on camera in case anything goes wrong. I would have thought they would have a police car there but this isn't an actual arrest as such, as she appears to hand her key over (house key?) voluntarily.

Remembering too though that press (Nate EIN) was tipped off about the Hawaii arrest of Lori.

I think it might have been LE but don't know. People can go willingly at times. They'd want any statements by LE I would think not CPS, where it is recorded, questioning by a detective, etc.

The house key was for the search possibly so she cooperated there too maybe asking them to lock up when they were done. Another possibility but perhaps unlikely is if she knew she was under arrest she asked an officer to get the key to a friend who could check on her house (or maybe she has pets).

The problem with this case, as far as us knowing anything, is LE has shared very little.

Some press may be camped on her sidewalk whether there is any action or not, just in the event there may be. Or neighbors or people there are alerting the press is a possibility too.