California Mother Detained in Connection with the Tragic Death of 9-Year-Old Daughter, Melodee Buzzard

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In a heartbreaking turn of events, the tragic case of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, who went missing in October, has taken another grim step as her mother has been re-arrested. The young girl’s body was recently discovered in Utah, leading authorities to once again take Ashlee Buzzard into custody.

Ashlee, 40, had previously seen charges of false imprisonment dropped, but this new development has brought her back into the legal spotlight. On Tuesday morning, she was handcuffed and escorted by police into a squad car, as reported by KSBY, a news outlet in San Luis Obispo. The arrest was executed just before 8 a.m., confirmed Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown.

Currently, Ashlee Buzzard is detained without the possibility of bail, according to jail records. The discovery of Melodee’s body was confirmed on December 6 by Sheriff Brown. The remains were found in a desolate area near Caineville, Utah, which is located northeast of Capitol Reef National Park.

Investigators believe that Melodee’s life was tragically cut short soon after she was last seen on October 9, near the border between Utah and Colorado. This devastating conclusion marks a sorrowful chapter in a case that has gripped communities and law enforcement alike.

A man and woman taking photos off of East State Route 24 reported they had discovered the remains.

Officers could not immediately identify the remains but concluded Melodee died from gunshot wounds to the head, Brown said. The FBI’s DNA analysis of the body found a familial DNA match to Ashlee Buzzard.

Spent cartridge cases found at Buzzard’s home matched those discovered at the Utah scene, and a similar live round was found in the vehicle.

Utah was part of a multi-state road trip the mother and daughter took that month, although Buzzard returned home to Lompoc, California, without her daughter. During the trip, Ashlee Buzzard allegedly switched license plates on her rented vehicle and tried to avoid surveillance cameras when refueling, Brown said.

Buzzard faces a charge of first-degree murder in the death of her daughter.

“While these developments represent important steps toward holding Ashlee Buzzard accountable for the murder of her daughter, they do not diminish the profound loss that we are acknowledging today,” Brown said.

A school administrator reported the child’s prolonged absence Oct. 14. Deputies went to the family’s residence in Lompoc, but Buzzard would not say where her daughter was.

Buzzard left California with her daughter on Oct. 7, driving a rented white 2024 Chevrolet Malibu, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. They traveled as far as Nebraska with stops in Nevada, Arizona and Utah, and a return route included Kansas. Melodee Buzzard was last seen Oct. 9 on video surveillance near the Colorado-Utah line.

Detectives learned the mother and daughter changed their appearance during travel. Video from the rental car office in Lompoc shows the child wearing a hooded sweatshirt and a wig that was darker and straighter than her natural hair, police said. The video shows her mother wearing a long, curly haired wig.

Buzzard swapped wigs throughout the trip and changed the license plate of the rental car to avoid detection, police said. On Oct. 10, Buzzard returned to her Lompoc residence in the rental car she had rented Oct. 7 with its original license plate — but her daughter was not with her, the sheriff’s office said.

Buzzard was arrested Nov. 7 on charges unrelated to the search for her daughter. Authorities said she prevented someone from leaving a location against their will.

Brown said it’s rare for a mother to kill her own child and difficult to comprehend. He said the crime was “calculated, cold-blooded” and premeditated, though a motive has not been determined.

“Today, we stand together in grief, but also with resolve,” Brown said. “Melodee deserved a far better life than she had.”

Officials said the weapon has not been found, and the case remains under investigation.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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California Mother Detained in Connection with the Tragic Death of 9-Year-Old Daughter, Melodee Buzzard

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