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

 

[GrandmaBear]

Oh I see what you are saying with the file name. I think it is just a shortened version since the category was either kidnapped or missing. My guess anyhow.

 

[Tresir]

They don't specify that. On any of the posters. The category is called "Kidnappings & Missing Persons". All together. Even for suspected kidnappings like Dulce, Asha Degree, and known abductions and family abductions.

Understand. So it's just a file name rather than a case description. I quickly looked at about 30 of them and they all say "Missing Person" on the individual posters.

 

[Tresir]

Oh I see what you are saying with the file name. I think it is just a shortened version since the category was either kidnapped or missing. My guess anyhow.

Yeah don't worry. I had never noticed the file name before now, but for the post i was doing i wanted the file name to show in the post and that was when i noticed the actual file name included 'kidnap'.

 

[RoundPeg]

New Images and Timeline Shared in Missing Melodee Buzzard Case

LOMPOC, Calif. (KEYT) – A small development in the case of Melodee Buzzard happened Friday as Sheriff's detectives shared an updated timeline and images

keyt.com

Photo is from October 7 at a car rental business. Melodee appears to be wearing a wig. Ashlee is known to wear wigs as well.

Paraphrase as my copy/paste is still unreliable.

 

[Tresir]

This just gets weirder and weirder.

 

[RoundPeg]

You know, driving to Nebraska and back through Kansas has to be close to 50 hours of driving for Ashlee. (Lets please not split hairs on where in Nebraska, it's a rough estimate.) Thats not a lot of stopping time when you factor in 3 nights and no idea what time she left or returned.

 

[Guess Who]

You know, driving to Nebraska and back through Kansas has to be close to 50 hours of driving for Ashlee. (Lets please not split hairs on where in Nebraska, it's a rough estimate.) Thats not a lot of stopping time when you factor in 3 nights and no idea what time she left or returned.

Depending on where in Nebraska they might have been going to, they might not have went through Kansas or just the very western edge of it. Most start moving north from I70 at Denver to hit I80. Nobody drives through Kansas if they can help it If we have to drive through it, we go at night and drive until we just can't any more. I70 through Kansas is so brutally boring.

If

 

[Guess Who]

New Images and Timeline Shared in Missing Melodee Buzzard Case

LOMPOC, Calif. (KEYT) – A small development in the case of Melodee Buzzard happened Friday as Sheriff's detectives shared an updated timeline and images

keyt.com

Photo is from October 7 at a car rental business. Melodee appears to be wearing a wig. Ashlee is known to wear wigs as well.

Paraphrase as my copy/paste is still unreliable.

View attachment 27515

Wearing a wig??? Do they mean like an actual, expensive wig or just like a cheapo halloweeen wig? How does one afford wigs with no income? (rhetorical question as I know many that spend money on hair and nails that only have benefits as "income")

 

[Tresir]

Wearing a wig??? Do they mean like an actual, expensive wig or just like a cheapo halloweeen wig? How does one afford wigs with no income? (rhetorical question as I know many that spend money on hair and nails that only have benefits as "income")

I wondered if she had just straightened her hair instead. She certainly looks older than a 9 year old.

 

[RoundPeg]

I wondered if she had just straightened her hair instead. She certainly looks older than a 9 year old.

I'm guessing wig as we have no idea how long her hair is now.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Depending on where in Nebraska they might have been going to, they might not have went through Kansas or just the very western edge of it. Most start moving north from I70 at Denver to hit I80. Nobody drives through Kansas if they can help it If we have to drive through it, we go at night and drive until we just can't any more. I70 through Kansas is so brutally boring.

If

It says in link 124 she went through Kansas, there is a timeline in there that it's on.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Wearing a wig??? Do they mean like an actual, expensive wig or just like a cheapo halloweeen wig? How does one afford wigs with no income? (rhetorical question as I know many that spend money on hair and nails that only have benefits as "income")

Same link also said she is known to wear wigs (mom) so guessing it is not a Halloween one.

 

[Kimster]

Wearing a wig??? Do they mean like an actual, expensive wig or just like a cheapo halloweeen wig? How does one afford wigs with no income? (rhetorical question as I know many that spend money on hair and nails that only have benefits as "income")

I’m pretty sure they get survivors benefits because of Melodee‘s deceased father.

 

[Kimster]

 

[GrandmaBear]

I’m pretty sure they get survivors benefits because of Melodee‘s deceased father.

Somewhere in here it said it was around $1,100 a month in some link. Not sure where that came from but if correct, that wouldn't even probably pay rent on that place. I also read somewhere she did pay her rent but she was in trouble over credit card debt, bill collectors, civil cases I think, etc. She might work, not like she is on disability or anything to stop her from doing so.

Maybe she is a hairdresser. (Total speculation on my part lol)

 

[Guess Who]

I’m pretty sure they get survivors benefits because of Melodee‘s deceased father.

But that's all the income they had from what I'm seeing. She didn't appear to be working. Then add the creditors after her for money.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I looked it up. Straight from the SSA it does say $1,100 per month.

https://www.ssa.gov/marketing/assets/materials/benefits-children-after-death-of-a-parent.pdf

 

[Kimster]

The way it worked when my sister passed away was that you get survivor benefits for the minor child, and then you get benefits for the person taking care of the child, unless that person receives a lot of income elsewhere. My nephew and his caregiver received around $3000 a month. And that was in 2004! My sister worked as a bank teller. I don’t know how they calculate it, nor do I know how much is involved in this case, but it could be more than we think. That’s all I’m saying.

 

[Kimster]

I looked it up. Straight from the SSA it does say $1,100 per month.

https://www.ssa.gov/marketing/assets/materials/benefits-children-after-death-of-a-parent.pdf

That appears to be the average amount, correct?

 

[Guess Who]

That appears to be the average amount, correct?

It says "about" so I take it as an average.