LOMPOC, Calif. — The California woman charged with the planned killing of her daughter, whose body was found in Utah, appeared before a judge and packed courtroom in Lompoc on Wednesday.
It was Ashlee Buzzard’s second court appearance since her Dec. 23 arrest.
The 40-year-old is being held without bail in the Northern Branch Jail in Santa Maria on a charge of first-degree murder, a special allegation of discharge of a firearm causing death and a special circumstance of murder by lying in wait in connection with the Oct. 9 shooting death of her 9-year-old daughter, Melodee, in Utah.
Buzzard has pleaded not guilty.
In court on Wednesday, it was revealed that Buzzard’s preliminary hearing will not take place before April after she waived her 60-day right to a preliminary hearing.
Ashlee Buzzard pleads not guilty to murder of daughter; DA's office won't seek death penalty:
The defense is also requesting that a permanent gag order be issued in the case, prohibiting law enforcement from discussing or disclosing details of the investigation publicly.
That, along with a motion regarding details from the warrants the defense would like to obtain, is expected to be heard during a hearing on Jan. 21.
Buzzard was the focus of a multi-state investigation after school administrators in Lompoc notified the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office of Melodee’s prolonged absence back in mid-October.
Authorities said Buzzard was uncooperative, providing no information as to her daughter’s whereabouts.
Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said it’s believed Buzzard shot Melodee in the head during a multi-state road trip and left her daughter’s body in a remote area of Wayne County, Utah.
Melodee’s remains were discovered in early December.
