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

 

[Tresir]

Your article said the plate was on on the 8th, however, last known sighting of Melodee was the 9th now. They are unsure when put on or when she switched plates back to CA ones.

Good points. I wonder how they discovered the fake plates? Maybe LE just saw the original plate suddenly show up out of the blue back in Ca to return the car to the rental firm and knew something weird had happened.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Good points. I wonder how they discovered the fake plates? Maybe LE just saw the original plate suddenly show up out of the blue back in Ca to return the car to the rental firm and knew something weird had happened.

Yeah, I don't know, could be. I wish they would share a bit more with us.

 

[Tresir]

You can search for a NY reg number at this link. It's offline at present though. It is for me anyway. But someone else could try to search. It could work for a US IP address.

Searching Records with Record Search Service | NY DMV

See how to properly Record Search Service to obtain driver and vehicle information.

dmv.ny.gov

Did anyone try to search for the NY reg?

 

[RoundPeg]

Did anyone try to search for the NY reg?

I'm using a different site I've used in the past, and nothing comes up.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I wonder if it is an old plate then or if they took it down as they knew folks would be looking for it. If it's an old plate, it seems odd she'd have such just laying around, especially a female. I mean I knew a guy who kept the plates off every vehicle he ever owned but he hung them on the wall in his basement bar. I cut mine and get rid of them, I don't want anyone ever using them--liability, crime, etc. If we sold a used vehicle, our plates were off and the buyer could not take it until they went to the DMV and came back with registration and plates OR they trailered it. I also did like a bill of sale with not only the date but the time that we both signed and had a copy of so no way if they got in a wreck down the road they could argue that they were just test driving it or it come back on our insurance.

longwinded point is--it is dumb to keep old plates around.

Well, she got this plate somewhere... Whether she had it or stole it off a car... Another thing, did she think ahead and bring a screwdriver with her or did she stop at say a Walmart and buy one...?

We know she did not go to NY yet it is a NY plate. What are the odds she came across a car with a NY plate on her trip to Nebraska and back AND in a spot easy to take it off without being seen?? Slim I'd say... The plate yes, the ability to snatch it? Not so much probably.

Here's another thing, she/they had to have overnighted somewhere no? How long was that trip again? One driver. That we know of.

 

[Tresir]

I wonder if it is an old plate then or if they took it down as they knew folks would be looking for it. If it's an old plate, it seems odd she'd have such just laying around, especially a female. I mean I knew a guy who kept the plates off every vehicle he ever owned but he hung them on the wall in his basement bar. I cut mine and get rid of them, I don't want anyone ever using them--liability, crime, etc. If we sold a used vehicle, our plates were off and the buyer could not take it until they went to the DMV and came back with registration and plates OR they trailered it. I also did like a bill of sale with not only the date but the time that we both signed and had a copy of so no way if they got in a wreck down the road they could argue that they were just test driving it or it come back on our insurance.

longwinded point is it is dumb to keep old plates around.

Well, she got this plate somewhere... Whether she had it or stole it off a car... Another thing, did she think ahead and bring a screwdriver with her or did she stop at say a Walmart and buy one...?

We know she did not go to NY yet it is a NY plate. What are the odds she came across a car with a NY plate on her trip to Nebraska and back AND in a spot easy to take it off without being seen?? Slim I'd say... The plate yes, the ability to snatch it? Not so much probably.

Here's another thing, she/they had to have overnighted somewhere no? How long was that trip again? One driver. That we know of.

I did wonder if she was what we call a T plate driver. That is someone who delivers new cars from factory or port to the dealer. You often see them on the road thumbing for a lift and holding up their plates, so you know. They are usually red in colour. If you do that job you have to buy those plates yourself and probably have to pay a yearly fee to the DOT.

They were NY plates though right? And she lives in California so that is a weird one to me.

I think she was gone from the 7th to the 10th so she spent three nights somewhere. One or two nights with Melodee heading out and one night without on the way back?

 

[Tresir]

So we have to try and figure out why she wanted to hide where she was taking Melodee? Sure is a strange one. Did she think CPS were going to take her ?

 

[GrandmaBear]

I did wonder if she was what we call a T plate driver. That is someone who delivers new cars from factory or port to the dealer. You often see them on the road thumbing for a lift and holding up their plates, so you know. They are usually red in colour. If you do that job you have to buy those plates yourself and probably have to pay a yearly fee to the DOT.

They were NY plates though right? And she lives in California so that is a weird one to me.

I think she was gone from the 7th to the 10th so she spent three nights somewhere. One or two nights with Melodee heading out and one night without on the way back?

New cars here come loaded on special trucks with like I don't know 8 or more on them in two layers usually (not touching, the truck is made for it) and they don't need plates on them of any kind but the truck does and the driver would need a license of some type to drive a truck like that, not sure if a regular semi license or what. No one delivers them and then hitchhikes lol. Then when at the lot if someone wants to test drive them, dealers have a dealer's plate so cops would know the car belonged to a dealer.

Let me see if I can find a pic of such a truck. Found one. This one seems to be a semi so they need I would think a semi license.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Hard to say how many nights depending on if she went on little sleep--staying somewhere I mean. They could have slept in the car somewhere too I guess.

That's a long trip for sure there and back in three days. So yeah, she may have stopped three times for sleep.

You know I was not thinking of her as a criminal (other than if she did something to her child of course) but intentionally putting the wrong plate on a car is definitely illegally as would be stealing a plate. So she was definitely willing to do something illegal and that makes me wonder just what kind of life she might have... And if there is anything criminal in it. Don't really have reason to wonder other than that act as we don't know if she did anything to her child yet.

On another note, she dresses fairly well and always has makeup on, she isn't that old, so is there a man in her life...??? I'd have to say it is likely although being alone with a young child, perhaps not.

 

[Tresir]

New cars here come loaded on special trucks with like I don't know 8 or more on them in two layers usually (not touching, the truck is made for it) and they don't need plates on them of any kind but the truck does and the driver would need a license of some type to drive a truck like that, not sure if a regular semi license or what. No one delivers them and then hitchhikes lol. Then when at the lot if someone wants to test drive them, dealers have a dealer's plate so cops would know the car belonged to a dealer.

Let me see if I can find a pic of such a truck. Found one. This one seems to be a semi so they need I would think a semi license.

View attachment 27665

Yeah we have those too for brand new cars going to the dealers. But the T plate driver drives any untaxed vehicle new or second hand and sometimes just one vehicle needs to be delivered so it wouldnt go on a multi vehicle carrier but be driven. Sometimes you can buy a new car from a dealer and it states "delivery miles only" which means it was driven from the production line to the dealer. We are a very small country, maybe just 800 miles from top to bottom.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Yeah we have those too for brand new cars going to the dealers. But the T plate driver drives any untaxed vehicle new or second hand and sometimes just one vehicle needs to be delivered so it wouldnt go on a multi vehicle carrier but be driven. Sometimes you can buy a new car from a dealer and it states "delivery miles only" which means it was driven from the production line to the dealer. We are a very small country, maybe just 800 miles from top to bottom.

Used is another story but why would any dealership want a new car driven and most take several of the same models. The minute a new vehicle is driven the value drops. I don't think what you are talking of happens here and if it does, it isn't frequent nor with new cars. Also why would someone drive a new car and then hitchhike and what plate are they carrying? Also if they only want one new car, you'd just trailer it then on a one car trailer, etc. to keep miles off of it.

Anyhow, I doubt she was doing anything like that that would have gotten her a NY plate.

 

[Tresir]

Used is another story but why would any dealership want a new car driven and most take several of the same models. The minute a new vehicle is driven the value drops. I don't think what you are talking of happens here and if it does, it isn't frequent nor with new cars. Also why would someone drive a new car and then hitchhike and what plate are they carrying? Also if they only want one new car, you'd just trailer it then on a one car trailer, etc. to keep miles off of it.

Anyhow, I doubt she was doing anything like that that would have gotten her a NY plate.

Your delivery mileage could be thousands whereas ours are just a few hundred at most. Its accepted practice here.

See this advert below and many places advertise like this.

Luxury and Premium Nearly-New, Delivery Mileage & Ex-Demonstrator Cars

Browse our exclusive selection of luxury ex-demonstrator and delivery mileage cars, in stock and ready to drive away from Stratstone.

www.stratstone.com

 

[Tresir]

Here's a you tube of a T Plate driver explaining his job LOL.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Your delivery mileage could be thousands whereas ours are just a few hundred at most. Its accepted practice here.

See this advert below and many places advertise like this.

Luxury and Premium Nearly-New, Delivery Mileage & Ex-Demonstrator Cars

Browse our exclusive selection of luxury ex-demonstrator and delivery mileage cars, in stock and ready to drive away from Stratstone.

www.stratstone.com

One of our differences I guess country to country. Maybe it varies in some other states but I doubt it. I don't see any reason new from factory to dealership anyone would want them driven if avoidable. It keeps them new with no mileage on them at all.

There is a saying here that when you drive a new car off the lot, it immediately drops a lot in value. Meaning you put a mile on it, and the value goes down immensely. The same I'm sure would hold true if the dealer had miles on it before it even arrived.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Here's a you tube of a T Plate driver explaining his job LOL.

Listened to him explain it and a few examples and they are used cars. THAT I can understand, just not new lol. He talks of auctions for instance, that would be used vehicles.

My daughter has a job where she hauls new camper trailers. Of course they are not driven, they are pulled and they stay new and don't have miles. She owns her own pickup truck capable of hauling such. I also knew a guy who used to haul them to the people's sites meaning for individuals, they take them to Florida yearly perhaps so he picks up their camper in WI and then takes it to Florida to their site. Or brings them home. He also retrieved used cars a used dealer bought. Say a used car dealer bought one car, he'd take someone with him and they'd drive the other car back. Or again you can trailer it. Still never hitchhiked lol. In neither case, my daughter nor him are they in a position they have to hitchhike.

This guy mentioned bus or train, etc. you might have to take (on your video).

 

[Tresir]

Listened to him explain it and a few examples and they are used cars. THAT I can understand, just not new lol. He talks of auctions for instance, that would be used vehicles.

My daughter has a job where she hauls new camper trailers. Of course they are not driven, they are pulled and they stay new and don't have miles. She owns her own pickup truck capable of hauling such. I also knew a guy who used to haul them to the people's sites meaning for individuals, they take them to Florida yearly perhaps so he picks up their camper in WI and then takes it to Florida to their site. Or brings them home. He also retrieved used cars a used dealer bought. Say a used car dealer bought one car, he'd take someone with him and they'd drive the other car back. Or again you can trailer it. Still never hitchhiked lol. In neither case, my daughter nor him are they in a position they have to hitchhike.

This guy mentioned bus or train, etc. you might have to take (on your video).

Yeah the reason they are called T plates is because they are plates that you pay vehicle tax on for each year so your road tax is covered and you would have insurance on those plates too. The vehicles he delivers would have no tax or insurance on them so that is how it works. They are pre taxed and insured plates personal to the owners of the plate and he would be paid by the garage owner to deliver them. They could be new or second hand.

 

[Tresir]

I wondered if Ashlee had a job as a driver where she had these plates legally?

 

[GrandmaBear]

I wondered if Ashlee had a job as a driver where she had these plates legally?

I don't think so. We don't have anything like that here that I can think of. Maybe the DMV but she'd need the NY DMV office lol.

I guess maybe at a salvage yard if some old beater came in with plates or something from a wreck still had plates but she doesn't dress like she is going to work at a salvage yard. They are typically male employees with maybe one female office person IF there is a real office. For a female to work the yard, they'd have to know about cars, parts and getting parts off, etc.

She either stole it imo off of a car OR she had one from a car she used to own and she formerly lived in NY.

That's doubtful since the child's dad died how long ago and was apparently from the area as is his family so she hasn't lived in NY at least in the last ten years most likely. And probably never has.

She stole them or had someone else steal them for her.

NY by the way requires two plates.

 

[Tresir]

"You need to tell them where the baby is" - Melodee Buzzard’s grandmother begs her daughter Ashlee to reveal missing 9-year-old’s whereabouts

Melodee Buzzard has been missing since last month.

www.primetimer.com

 

[Guess Who]

I wondered if Ashlee had a job as a driver where she had these plates legally?

She wouldn't legally have a plate from another state that would be hers, especially that far away.