Key Highlights
- A 9-year-old girl named Melodee Buzzard vanished during a cross-country road trip with her mother in October.
- The mother, Ashlee Buzzard, is under arrest on unrelated charges but has refused to cooperate with investigators regarding the disappearance of her daughter.
- During their journey, the mother reportedly switched license plates and used wigs for Melodee to avoid detection.
- Surveillance footage shows the child wearing a wig near the Colorado-Utah border on October 9th.
The Vanishing of Melodee Buzzard: A Family’s Struggle for Answers
A 9-year-old girl with a winning smile and bouncy brown curls vanished during a cross-country road trip with her mother in early October, leaving her family and law enforcement scrambling for answers. Since the disappearance of Melodee Buzzard, her relatives have remained desperate for any clues about what happened to the young girl.
The investigation into Melodee’s case has been marked by strange details and suspicious behavior from her mother, Ashlee Buzzard. According to authorities, Buzzard took their 2024 Chevrolet Malibu on a journey that spanned approximately 3,000 miles through Southern California, Nebraska, Kansas, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and back home in Lompoc, California.
Unusual Behaviors During the Journey
The mother’s actions during their four-day trip have raised many questions. Surveillance footage from a car rental business on October 7th shows Melodee Buzzard wearing a wig that investigators believe was used to alter her appearance.
“This change in appearance is believed to have been intentional to avoid recognition during travel,” said the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. Additionally, law enforcement suspects that Ashlee Buzzard may have tried to avoid detection by replacing the California license plate (9MNG101) on their rental car with a New York plate (HCG9677), though this was eventually reversed upon returning the vehicle.
Missing and Uncooperative
Melodee Buzzard has not been seen since October 9th, when she last appeared in surveillance footage near the Colorado-Utah border. She has remained missing as of November 8th, 2025. Her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, has refused to cooperate with investigators and has even been arrested on unrelated false imprisonment charges on Friday.
“I’m having a hard time sleeping,” said Melodee’s paternal grandmother, Lilly Denes. “My baby is missing.
I don’t know what to tell you. It has been very hard for all of us.” The family has set up a shrine in their home with photos and a large black “bring her back” poster.
Background and Financial Troubles
Melodee was born on February 10, 2016. Six months later, her father was killed in a motorcycle accident. Over the years, Buzzard has homeschooled Melodee and reportedly changed her last name to match her own.
Federal court records show that Ashlee Buzzard filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2017 and has faced multiple small claims lawsuits due to alleged unpaid debts.
Law enforcement is urging anyone with information about Melodee’s whereabouts since October 9th to contact the sheriff’s office. The case remains a priority for investigators, who are working closely with the FBI to find any leads that could help locate Melodee Buzzard.
