{"id":365646,"date":"2025-12-24T09:16:16","date_gmt":"2025-12-24T09:16:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/365646\/"},"modified":"2025-12-24T09:16:16","modified_gmt":"2025-12-24T09:16:16","slug":"body-of-missing-9-year-old-california-girl-melodee-buzzard-found-sources-national","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/365646\/","title":{"rendered":"Body of missing 9-year-old California girl Melodee Buzzard found: sources – National"},"content":{"rendered":"

The body of a nine-year-old California girl missing since October<\/a>\u00a0was found earlier this month, according to law enforcement sources.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The body of Melodee Buzzard<\/a>, who was last seen on a road trip with her mother in early October, was found out of state, a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation told NBC News<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Multiple law enforcement sources told ABC News<\/a> that Melodee\u2019s body was found in early December in Utah in an area where she and her mother travelled in October.<\/p>\n

Law enforcement sources believe that Melodee was killed and that she was likely dead that month, before she was known to be missing, sources said.<\/p>\n

Her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, was taken back into police custody, according to video shared with NBC News affiliate KSBY<\/a>. The video shows Ashlee, 40, being led away from her home by Santa Barbara County Sheriff\u2019s Officials on Tuesday morning.<\/p>\n

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One neighbour told the outlet that the incident was \u201cquiet and quick\u201d and took place shortly before 7:45 a.m. local time. The neighbour added that authorities banged on the door with a metal tool and eventually used that tool to pry open the door and gain access to the home.<\/p>\n

Ashlee was taken into custody following DNA results from the recovered remains, ABC News reports.<\/p>\n

The Santa Barbara Sheriff\u2019s Office posted on its X account that it would share \u201cmajor developments\u201d in the case at a press conference scheduled for 2 p.m. PST.<\/p>\n

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff\u2019s Office has major developments in the missing person investigation for 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard. Members of the media are invited to a press conference:
\u23f0Tuesday, December 23, 2025, 2:00 p.m.
\ud83d\udccd Santa Barbara County Sheriff\u2019s Headquarters<\/p>\n

\u2014 SB Sheriff’s Office (@sbsheriff) December 23, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

The investigation into Melodee\u2019s disappearance began on Oct. 14<\/a> when a school administrator reported Melodee\u2019s extended absence.<\/p>\n

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Through the ongoing investigation, detectives found evidence that the young girl was with her mother as recently as Oct. 7.<\/p>\n

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\u201cInvestigators have also determined that Ashlee may have traveled with Melodee anywhere between Lompoc, Calif. and the state of Nebraska,\u201d police added<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough their ongoing investigation, detectives have narrowed the critical timeline to between October 7 and October 10, 2025. Investigators have confirmed that Ashlee was seen returning to her Lompoc residence on October 10, driving the same rental vehicle she departed with on October 7 \u2014 but Melodee was not in the car.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Nov. 6, police\u00a0released additional information<\/a>\u00a0in the ongoing search for Melodee, including a portion of the surveillance video from Oct. 7, and updated investigative details indicating Ashlee may have changed her appearance during the road trip.<\/p>\n

\u201cDetectives are now sharing a segment of the video footage taken on October 7, 2025, at a rental car location in Lompoc, California. The footage corresponds to previously released still images and shows both Ashlee and Melodee wearing wigs,\u201d police said.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tSurveillance photos of Melodee Buzzard and Ashlee Buzzard reportedly seen in wigs.\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tSanta Barbara County Sheriff’s Office\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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Investigators believe that Ashlee swapped wigs throughout their trip, \u201cchanging to a darker wig that is similar in color and style to the one Melodee was seen wearing.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis change in appearance is believed to have been intentional to avoid recognition during travel,\u201d police added.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\"Surveillance<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tSurveillance photos of Melodee Buzzard and Ashlee Buzzard reportedly seen in wigs.\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tSanta Barbara County Sheriff’s Office\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Through the Santa Barbara County sheriff\u2019s investigation, detectives confirmed that Ashlee left California with Melodee on Oct. 7, driving a rented white 2024 Chevrolet Malibu that initially displayed a California licence plate.<\/p>\n

Detectives believed that Ashlee and Melodee travelled as far as Nebraska, with a return route that included Kansas.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tThe Santa Barbara County Sheriff\u2019s Office released a map of the Buzzards\u2019 vehicle stops and urged anyone in those communities to check surveillance and report relevant information.\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tSanta Barbara County Sheriff’s Office\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

On Oct. 8, the rented car was observed with New York licence plates that did not belong to the vehicle or Ashlee. Police believe the New York plates were \u201cused as a false or switched plate to avoid detection.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhen the Malibu was returned to the Lompoc rental agency, the original California plate was back on the vehicle,\u201d police said.<\/p>\n

Detectives confirmed that Melodee was last seen on Oct. 9 on video surveillance in the region of the Colorado-Utah border.<\/p>\n

Police said Ashlee<\/a> had been \u201cuncooperative\u201d and had \u201cnot provided any information about Melodee\u2019s current location or welfare.\u201d<\/p>\n

Detectives were working with local, state and federal partners. The FBI joined the investigation on Oct. 18 and searches were conducted at the family\u2019s residence and in surrounding areas.<\/p>\n

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