LOMPOC, Calif. — New information about the investigation into a missing California girl has been shared, with law enforcement officials saying the 9-year-old was last seen on the Utah-Colorado border
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said the Lompoc Unified School District reported to authorities on Oct. 14 that Melodee Buzzard had not been seen for a period of time, with her mother, Ashlee, unable to explain the child's whereabouts, and she has been uncooperative with detectives.
Investigators are currently focusing on a road trip that Melodee and her mother took on October 7, when Ashlee rented a car and drove off with her daughter in a white 2024 Chevrolet Malibu with a California license. Detectives believe they drove as far as Nebraska, with a return trip that included Kansas.
On October 8, investigators said the same car was seen with a New York license plate, which was believed to have been changed to avoid detection. By the time Ashlee returned the vehicle to the rental agency in Lompoc, the original California license plate had reportedly been reinstalled.
When Ashlee returned home from the trip on October 10, Melodee was no longer with her. The sheriff’s office said the little girl was last seen on surveillance video on October 9 in the area between the Colorado-Utah border during the return trip to California.
Investigators believe the Malibu traveled through the following areas on or around October 9, and they are looking for additional surveillance or witnesses in these areas:
- Green River, Utah
- Panguitch, Utah
- Northwest Arizona
- Primm, Nevada
- Rancho Cucamonga
Sheriff’s officials also released a new surveillance image from the local rental car agency showing Ashlee and Melodee together on October 7. Investigators believe they are both wearing wigs, with Melodee’s wig appearing darker and straighter than her natural hair.
Melodee is described as approximately 4’6” tall and weighing 60 pounds with curly brown hair and brown eyes.
Anyone with information about Melodee’s whereabouts is urged to call the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Detectives line at (805) 681-4150. Anonymous tips can be made by calling (805) 681-4171 or on the sheriff's website.
