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]

If anyone finds a link, please post it. I'd think ABC would have it, they've been reporting but I haven't found such yet. I have to run down to my car but man I hate to miss any of it....! I have things likely thawing. Maybe I'll wait and HOPE it's not too long for them.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Was thrilled at the news of arrest but now am devastated at the news of Melodee. WHAT is WRONG with people??!!

 

[GrandmaBear]

Supposedly they had to pry open her door to arrest her.

Per NBC.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Okay. Now I am seeing 2 p.m. PT. That makes more sense as it is CA. I wondered why I couldn't find the presser yet.

 

[GrandmaBear]

The news seems to come from the paternal grandmother who was informed by LE of the body and the arrest.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I'm heading to the garage now that it seems it's 3 hours off yet.

 

[Mel70]

Oh NOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

Body of 9-year-old California girl missing for months found, mother Ashlee Buzzard arrested

The mother of a missing California girl has been arrested after a DNA test confirmed that human remains found in Utah were that of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard.

abc7chicago.com

I , think like most that was the case. But, everyone was hoping it wasn't.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I , think like most that was the case. But, everyone was hoping it wasn't.

I kept some hope alive but the last few weeks it has been about impossible to do so. Still I held that one very slim hope alive.

Well now I can call mom a monster. I hope they can get her on first degree. There does seem to be planning, switching out plates, wearing wigs, renting a car, etc.

 

[Mel70]

I kept some hope alive but the last few weeks it has been about impossible to do so. Still I held that one very slim hope alive.

Well now I can call mom a monster. I hope they can get her on first degree. There does seem to be planning, switching out plates, wearing wigs, renting a car, etc.

She needs the death penalty.

 

[GrandmaBear]

She needs the death penalty.

She deserves it certainly. Being it is CA I wouldn't count on it. I heard someone from there the other day say for all intents and purposes CA doesn't have the DP. It does but it's never carried out. Ever.

 

[Tresir]

After living the chaos of a national news story breaking in our neighborhood, some people think nothing of being a pest to the neighbors that live there and those people getting all butthurt when they were told to leave. Cigarette butts and trash left all over their yards and strangers in their yards at all times of day and night. Then they start blocking the roads and want/expect the people that actually live there to take a different route so they can remain blocking the roads. Not cool at all.

Well by the sound of the latest news, they did the right thing making a fuss.

 

[Tresir]

Was dead for months before anyone knew she was missing... What?? Was the car rental video not her? I did always think one couldn't tell precisely.

The car rental pic was two and a half months ago. So it has been months.

 

[GrandmaBear]

The car rental pic was two and a half months ago. So it has been months.

Right but it said too that she'd been missing for some months before anyone realized she was missing and that's certainly not accurate... Bad reporting probably.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Having had some time to think on this, some of the time we were frustrated with no arrest and nothing seemingly being done, they already had found the body a bit ago and were awaiting DNA.

It won't stop me from griping the next time I think LE is doing nothing in a case lol but they often are we come to find, it just gets frustrating.

It's too bad too they can't rush DNA in some cases. A little more quickly than that at least.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I'm guessing too that they were maybe able to narrow down areas even further than we knew...

 

[GrandmaBear]

Lol I'm listening to a show right now where the YTer is reading the accounts and he just said the same thing I said, that it doesn't make any sense when they say that she was missing for months before anyone realized it. Again probably bad reporting.

 

[GrandmaBear]

There are pictures of her arrest outside her home but I haven't run into one to link on its own.

 

[Tresir]

This link has details. The news channel is going to air it at 2pm, but I would think that will be Pacific time. ie. In 1 hour 25 minutes time.

Missing Nine-Year-Old Melodee Buzzard Found Dead; Mother Ashlee Arrested For Her Murder

VANDENBERG VILLAGE, Calif. (KEYT) – Law enforcement confirmed Tuesday morning that Melodee Buzzard, the local nine-year-old missing since earlier this

keyt.com

VANDENBERG VILLAGE, Calif. (KEYT) – Law enforcement confirmed Tuesday morning that Melodee Buzzard, the local nine-year-old missing since earlier this year, has been confirmed dead and her mother has been taken into custody.
Melodee's paternal grandmother, Lilly Denes, shared with Your News Channel that the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office informed her that her granddaughter's body had been recovered and that Ashlee has been taken into custody.
An alert school administrator raised the alarm about the missing nine-year-old on October 14 after the home schooler had not reported in as required.
"Lompoc Unified School District deserves credit for recognizing that something wasn’t right, reaching out, and continuing to assist with this investigation," stated Lieutenant Chris Gotschall from the Sheriff's Criminal Investigations Division. "This important update helps narrow a significant gap in the timeline of when she was last known to be seen and because of that, we’re closer to understanding what happened to Melodee."

​

According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office, Melodee's mother was, "uncooperative with investigators" and detectives did not receive any verified information about the nine-year-old's whereabouts outside of the local school district when the public search began.
The mother and daughter were recorded renting a Chevy Malibu in Lompoc and traveling through Nevada and Utah in October before Ashlee Buzzard returned alone.

​

During the multi-day trip, both were seen wearing wigs and at some point, the license plate on the rental car was swapped with out-of-state plates.
In November, Ashlee Buzzard was arrested for false imprisonment by deputies, but the case was dismissed one day after her first court appearance.

Ashlee Buzzard in court in November.​

Your News Channel will livestream a joint press conference with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation announcing the latest information about the case at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 23.

 

[Guess Who]

JUST IN: Ashlee Buzzard, the mom of missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, has been taken into custody in connection with the investigation into her missing daughter, sources told
@abcnews

The FBI and Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office are looking for missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard. FBI
(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) -- Ashlee Buzzard, the mom of missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, has been taken into custody in connection with the investigation into her missing daughter, sources told ABC News.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office did not provide additional information and only said it will share "major developments" in Melodee's case at a news conference at 2 p.m. local time, 5 p.m. ET Tuesday

Ashlee Buzzard in custody in connection with missing daughter Melodee: Sources

The FBI and Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office are looking for missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard. FBI

www.bigcountrynewsconnection.com

Good!

 

[Guess Who]

Oh NOOOOOOOOOOOOO.

Body of 9-year-old California girl missing for months found, mother Ashlee Buzzard arrested

The mother of a missing California girl has been arrested after a DNA test confirmed that human remains found in Utah were that of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard.

abc7chicago.com

They must have been waiting for confirmation as they say she was found in early December. This makes me wonder in what condition she was found.

Multiple law enforcement sources told ABC News that Melodee's body was found in early December