CA MELODEE BUZZARD: Missing from Vandenberg Village, CA - 9 Oct 2025 - Age 9 (13 Viewers)

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]

She does not mention Melodee in Panguitch and so Melodee either did not go in or was not with Ashlee I'd guess.

Unknown if she was with her in Green River (unless I missed something) but she "seems" not to be in Panguitch.

If one maps it by Panguitch, she is winding south towards Las Vegas at this point in the trip, probably another 400 miles to Vegas (did not run the mileage on that one, just estimating).

I guessed and it seems the case that the trip all the way to Nebraska was to throw people or LE off... Or perhaps any plan she had for Nebraska did not pan out so Melodee was returning with her but we know did not make it all the way home...

I don't get how she changes plates probably to not be detected BUT is dumb enough to have her phone to be tracked...

 

[SheWhoMustNotBeNamed]

Investigators release surveillance video from start of road trip involving missing Vandenberg Village girl

Investigators are releasing surveillance video they say was taken at the start of a road trip Ashlee Buzzard took with her 9-year-old daughter last month.

www.ksby.com

On Thursday, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office announced they believe Ashlee changed wigs during her road trip, at one point wearing a darker wig that resembles the one Melodee is seen wearing in the surveillance video.


Authorities say Ashlee has not been cooperative with the investigation and has provided no “verifiable explanation” as to where her daughter is.

Her Mars Avenue home has been searched multiple times, with the latest search done by the FBI on Oct. 30.

While Ashlee was removed from the home during the search, the sheriff’s office says she was not taken into custody.

 

[GrandmaBear]

It's so obvious in the pics of them together that the second person is far shorter than Ashlee and is likely Melodee. I think the people who were doubting it were seeing the pic of just Melodee at the car rental place. There is nothing in those photos to determine her height in the same way as seeing her next to Ashlee.

On another note, when are they going to do something here, like arrest the mom? in the other recent case of a nine year old in Florida, they have arrested the mom for neglect, I guess based on if she can't tell them where her daughter is, that is neglect if she doesn't know, did not keep track of her so to speak. Laws vary by state I'm sure but still there must be something they can arrest her on.

I guess though then she'd be given a lawyer and for sure she would clam up for good.

Frustrating.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Hidden True Crime is live saying Ashlee has been arrested!!

 

[GrandmaBear]

Sheriff's Detectives arrested Ashlee Buzzard for felony false imprisonment; Missing daughter's location remains unknown | News Channel 3-12

VANDENBERG VILLAGE, Calif. (KEYT) – Ashlee Buzzard, the mother of still-missing nine-year-old Melodee Buzzard, was arrested Friday morning on charges

keyt.com

 

[GrandmaBear]

Felony false imprisonment?? That's different...

 

[GrandmaBear]

This one says $100,000 bail.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Prevented a victim from leaving a location against their will...

 

[GrandmaBear]

Mother of missing Santa Barbara County girl arrested on unrelated charge

The mother of Melodee Buzzard, a missing 9-year-old from Santa Barbara County, was arrested Friday on an unrelated charge.

abc7.com

 

[GrandmaBear]

This has a pic showing her arrested.

Mother of missing girl Melodee Buzzard arrested on unrelated charges

Ashlee Buzzard, the mother of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, who has been the subject of a missing person investigation, was taken into custody on Friday.

www.ksby.com

 

[Tresir]

So the falsely imprisoned person wasn't Melodee. I bet the neighbours loved seeing that arrest, (even if it was on an unrelated charge).

 

[GrandmaBear]

So the falsely imprisoned person wasn't Melodee. I bet the neighbours loved seeing that arrest, (even if it was on an unrelated charge).

I assumed it was, where do you see that? Although I will admit I couldn't see how a mother could falsely imprison her child....

 

[Tresir]

I assumed it was, where do you see that? Although I will admit I couldn't see how a mother could falsely imprison her child....

From the ABC7 link you posted it says this -

Ashlee Buzzard, 40, was arrested on a warrant for a felony charge of false imprisonment. She's set to be booked at the Northern Branch Jail in Santa Maria on $100,000 bail.
"Although this arrest occurred during the course of the missing person investigation, it is not directly related to Melodee's disappearance," said the sheriff's department in a statement released on Friday. "Sheriff's detectives remain fully focused on locating Melodee and confirming her safety."
The mother's arrest comes one day after new surveillance video was released showing her and her daughter at a rental car agency on October 7.

 

[Guess Who]

Not related, but at least she's not out running free at the moment.

 

[GrandmaBear]

From the ABC7 link you posted it says this -

Ashlee Buzzard, 40, was arrested on a warrant for a felony charge of false imprisonment. She's set to be booked at the Northern Branch Jail in Santa Maria on $100,000 bail.
"Although this arrest occurred during the course of the missing person investigation, it is not directly related to Melodee's disappearance," said the sheriff's department in a statement released on Friday. "Sheriff's detectives remain fully focused on locating Melodee and confirming her safety."
The mother's arrest comes one day after new surveillance video was released showing her and her daughter at a rental car agency on October 7.

I know what I did, I saw the $100,000 bond and never read further I don't think. I was skimming and pulling up a variety of articles for different info.

Interesting...

Who in the heck was she "imprisoning"? She seems to have no family around... A bf?

 

[GrandmaBear]

Another thought would be his family member... One at least had a conversation with her with Ashlee going on about how hard it was for her, was the woman in her house and Ashlee blocked her exit? Just a thought, pure speculation on my part.

Brian Entin is saying that they said they can't or won't provide more info as it would impede their investigation re Melodee, even though the crime is not related...

Supposedly (again Entin) she was coming out of home with boxes yesterday and they are speculating they moved in to arrest now as they worried she was going to leave the area... They are speculating too...

 

[GrandmaBear]

 

[GrandmaBear]

The guest on Entin in above video talked of how the FBI surveils (like in following a car). There is a plane above at a height the driver does not notice and they advise the one tailing where the person is, where they turn and so on to the agent in the car. They don't stay in sight of the vehicle, they will tell them like you are two miles back right now, she is here, etc. and tell them when move up some or drop back, etc. Not surprised at all that they wouldn't be obvious but was interesting to hear that.

He also does not think they will prosecute this crime but that it was a way to get her in jail, out of the house and/or keep her from running.

 

[Kimster]

This one says $100,000 bail.

They thought she was gonna take off. I think she’s involved in some kind of sex trafficking. I really do.

 

[Kimster]

The guest on Entin in above video talked of how the FBI surveils (like in following a car). There is a plane above at a height the driver does not notice and they advise the one tailing where the person is, where they turn and so on to the agent in the car. They don't stay in sight of the vehicle, they will tell them like you are two miles back right now, she is here, etc. and tell them when move up some or drop back, etc. Not surprised at all that they wouldn't be obvious but was interesting to hear that.

He also does not think they will prosecute this crime but that it was a way to get her in jail, out of the house and/or keep her from running.

Yep, they said they saw her taking some boxes out of her house so I think they thought she was gonna run. And if I’m right and she’s involved in some kind of trafficking, she might be able to flee and hide quite easily. I’ll bet her electronic devices busted her. These are all my personal guesses.