A multi-state search started for Melodee Buzzard, a 9-year-old girl who was last seen nearly a month ago, including here in Utah along the I-70 corridor.
Authorities from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office in California, along with the FBI and Utah law enforcement, are now retracing the route of a rental car driven by Melodee’s mother, Ashlee Buzzard, during a recent trip.
“It’s not your run-of-the-mill missing persons case,” said Raquel Zick, Public Information Officer with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
According to investigators, Ashlee Buzzard returned home from the trip without her daughter and could not provide a plausible explanation for the child’s whereabouts.
MORE | The Disappearance of Melodee Buzzard
After extensive searches of the family’s home, analysis of cell phone data, and GPS tracking of the rental car, detectives developed a timeline of the pair’s movements. They confirmed that Melodee and Ashlee were seen together on Oct. 9 on the Colorado side of the Colorado–Utah border.
The route passed through Green River and Panguitch, Utah, and led to some possible sightings of the two.
In Panguitch, a gas station employee told KUTV she may have seen the mom.
“She just kind of opened the door and halfway poked her head in,” said Samantha Matthews, who recalled the car having California license plates.
In Green River, another gas station employee confirmed that the FBI had requested surveillance footage from the store in connection with the case.
Local residents said the search has the community on edge. “It’s just so crazy—it’s scary,” said Rilee Pinneo, who lives near the busy travel corridor. “A lot of people stop here because it’s easy to get off and back on the highway.”
Investigators are continuing to follow leads and review surveillance video along I-70. They are asking anyone who may have seen Melodee or Ashlee Buzzard around Oct. 9 or 10 in Utah or Colorado to contact law enforcement immediately.
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