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SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (BFMG) — A 9-year-old California girl whose disappearance triggered a multi-state investigation has been found dead, and her mother is now charged with first-degree murder, authorities announced Tuesday.
Melodee Buzzard was killed on or around Oct. 9, 2025, according to investigators. Her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, is being held without bail in Santa Barbara County following her arrest on a charge of first-degree murder.
Concern about Melodee’s whereabouts arose days after her death, when school officials reported her prolonged absence. Deputies later contacted Ashlee Buzzard at the family residence, but Melodee was not there. Authorities said Buzzard was unable to provide a verifiable explanation for her daughter’s location.
Investigators later determined Buzzard had rented a vehicle and traveled with Melodee across multiple states. Surveillance footage showed the pair together at a rental car office, both wearing wigs in what detectives believe was an attempt to conceal their identities.
Authorities said the vehicle traveled through California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Wyoming and Nebraska before returning through Kansas and Colorado. During the trip, investigators say Buzzard switched the vehicle’s license plates to New York tags and backed into gas stations to avoid being identified on surveillance cameras.
The last known sighting of Melodee alive was captured on video near the Colorado-Utah border. Detectives believe the child was killed shortly after that stop.
Search warrants executed later at the Buzzard residence uncovered an expended cartridge case. A live round of similar ammunition was also found inside the rental car, investigators said.
On Dec. 6, hikers discovered the decomposed remains of a child in a remote area of Wayne County, Utah, near West Cainville Road. An autopsy determined the victim died from gunshot wounds to the head.
Ballistics testing linked a cartridge case recovered at the Utah scene to the casing found at the Buzzard home. DNA analysis later confirmed the remains were a familial match to Ashlee Buzzard, authorities said.
On Dec. 23, members of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI served arrest and search warrants at the Buzzard residence. Ashlee Buzzard was taken into custody without incident and booked into the Northern Branch Jail, where she remains held without bail.
Authorities outlined the findings during a press conference Tuesday, confirming the identification of Melodee’s remains and the charges filed against her mother.
The case has drawn attention across several states and raised questions about how a child’s disappearance went undetected for days. The investigation remains ongoing.
Blunt Force Media will continue to follow developments as the case moves through the court system.
