VANDENBERG VILLAGE, CA — The search for 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard ended in tragedy Tuesday.
Law enforcement sources confirm that the girl’s body was found out of state, more than two months after she was first reported missing from Southern California.
On Tuesday morning, deputies arrested the girl’s mother, 40-year-old Ashlee Buzzard.
Neighbors in Vandenberg Village reported seeing deputies take her from her home in handcuffs.
The Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office has scheduled a press conference for this afternoon to provide “major developments” in the case.
Until now, officials described Ashlee Buzzard as “uncooperative” throughout the investigation.
The case began in early October when the Lompoc Unified School District noticed Melodee had not attended her independent study program.
This triggered a truancy investigation that eventually involved the police.
Investigators focused on a specific road trip Ashlee and Melodee took between Oct. 7 and Oct. 10.
The pair traveled from Southern California to Nebraska in a rental car.
Authorities highlighted several suspicious details from that trip:
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Disguises: Security footage showed Melodee wearing a wig, which police believe was used to hide her identity.
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Plate Swapping: The rental car’s license plate was allegedly swapped for a New York plate during the trip.
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The Return: Melodee was last seen near the Utah-Colorado border on Oct. 9. When Ashlee Buzzard returned the rental car on Oct. 10, her daughter was not with her.
Melodee’s disappearance deeply affected the Vandenberg Village community.
For weeks, neighbors gathered outside the family home seeking answers.
“We’re all looking for answers,” Melodee’s half-sister, Corinna Meza, previously told reporters.
Meza noted that the girl’s father had passed away when she was an infant and that Melodee was rarely seen, even by her own relatives.
Ashlee Buzzard was previously arrested in November on unrelated charges of false imprisonment, but that case was later dismissed due to insufficient evidence.
She is now back in custody as the investigation into her daughter’s death continues.
