It\u2019s been over two weeks since 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard went missing, and investigators have released new details in hopes of aiding her recovery.<\/p>\n
Melodee was reported missing on October 14 by Lompoc Unified School District after failing to pick up assignments following her August enrollment. Homeschooled, she had not been seen since October 2024.<\/p>\n
On October 24, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff\u2019s Office released surveillance images showing Melodee at a California car rental a week before she was reported missing. In the photos, she wears a gray hoodie and a dark wig, possibly to alter her appearance. Investigators noted that her mother, 35-year-old Ashlee Buzzard, also wears wigs.<\/p>\n
Reports indicate Melodee and Ashlee then went on a three-day road trip from Lompoc, California, to Nebraska. When deputies first checked Ashlee\u2019s home, Melodee was not there, and Ashlee offered \u201cno verifiable explanation\u201d for her daughter\u2019s whereabouts. Investigators later confirmed Ashlee returned on October 10 after the trip\u2014but Melodee was not in the car.<\/p>\n
\u201cDetectives are focused on where Melodee was during those three days and where she may be now,\u201d the sheriff\u2019s office said. Sheriff Bill Brown added, \u201cWe remain determined to bring her home safely.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ashlee has refused to cooperate with authorities, while her family has expressed concern about her mental health. Melodee\u2019s aunt, Vicky Shade, said, \u201cAshlee is mentally unstable, and my mom tried to get custody or at least visitation because she wasn\u2019t letting our side of the family see her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Melodee Buzzard remains missing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
It\u2019s been over two weeks since 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard went missing, and investigators have released new details in hopes of aiding her recovery. Melodee was reported missing on October 14 by Lompoc Unified School District after failing to pick up assignments following her August enrollment. Homeschooled, she had not been seen since October 2024. On…<\/p>\n