Mother of missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard released on monitor; victim says she disclosed child’s location
A judge released Ashlee Buzzard on an ankle monitor with a no‑contact order after her arrest on a felony false‑imprisonment charge; a court officer, Tyler Brewer, says Buzzard told him where 9‑year‑old Melodee is and who she is with, though Brewer said he is uncertain the information was truthful. Investigators, with FBI assistance, say Ashlee and Melodee left California Oct. 7, were seen in possible disguises and with swapped license plates during a cross‑country trip, that Melodee was last captured on surveillance Oct. 9 near the Colorado–Utah border, and that follow‑up search warrants were executed Oct. 30 as the case remains an active missing‑person investigation with no arrests tied to the disappearance.
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📌 Key Facts
- The investigation formally opened Oct. 14 after a school administrator reported Melodee Buzzard’s prolonged absence; investigators say no arrests have been made in the missing-person investigation.
- Surveillance last placed 9-year-old Melodee on Oct. 9 along the return route near the Colorado–Utah border; sheriff’s investigators believe Ashlee Buzzard was no longer with Melodee somewhere along the Oct. 9 CA–AZ–UT–NV route.
- Authorities say Ashlee and Melodee left California Oct. 7, traveled as far as Nebraska and returned via Kansas, with the rental car observed in locations including Utah, northwest Arizona, Nevada and California during the trip.
- Investigators say the rental car’s California plate (9MNG101) was swapped for a New York plate (HCG9677) beginning Oct. 8—believed to be a false or switched plate to avoid detection—and the California plate was back on the car when it was returned.
- Surveillance from Oct. 7 at a Lompoc rental-car business shows Ashlee and Melodee wearing wigs; authorities say Melodee’s wig appeared darker and straighter than her natural hair and that Ashlee may have swapped wigs during the trip to avoid recognition.
- On Oct. 30 the FBI and Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s detectives executed follow-up search warrants at the Buzzards’ Lompoc residence, a storage locker and the rental car; detectives escorted Ashlee to an alternate location to allow an extended search and the FBI Los Angeles Field Office continues assisting—authorities are requesting public tips and video from Oct. 9–10.
- Ashlee Buzzard, 40, was arrested on a felony false-imprisonment charge (allegedly preventing a victim from leaving a location), booked into the Northern Branch Jail with bail set at $100,000; a judge later released her on an ankle monitor and imposed a no-contact order barring contact with the alleged victim, court officer Tyler Brewer.
- Brewer says Ashlee told him where Melodee is and who she is with before allegedly brandishing a box cutter and locking him inside her home, but Brewer told media he is uncertain whether the information Ashlee provided was truthful; Ashlee remains uncooperative and has not given a verifiable explanation for Melodee’s location.
- Paternal grandmother Lily Denes has criticized Ashlee’s release, saying Ashlee had prior mental-health treatment and that Ashlee previously cut Melodee off from extended family while Denes was pursuing adoption.
📰 Sources (6)
Melodee Buzzard’s mom plotted to ‘cut off’ missing 9-year-old from ‘entire world,’ grandma says
New information:
- Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office details that Ashlee and Melodee left California on Oct. 7, traveled as far as Nebraska, and returned via Kansas.
- Investigators say the rental car’s license plate was swapped to a New York plate on Oct. 8, then the original California plate was put back on before return.
- Sheriff’s Office released a surveillance image showing Melodee at a Lompoc rental car business on Oct. 7 wearing a hood and what appears to be a darker wig (possible disguise).
- The investigation formally opened Oct. 14 after a school administrator reported Melodee’s prolonged absence; Ashlee has not provided a verifiable explanation for the child’s location.
- Paternal grandmother Lilly Denes says she was in the process of adopting Melodee when Ashlee, after release from a mental hospital in 2021, took the child and cut her off from extended family (family account).
Melodee Buzzard’s mom released after allegedly imprisoning officer, revealing missing daughter’s location
New information:
- A judge released Ashlee Buzzard with an ankle monitor and a no-contact order barring contact with the alleged victim, Tyler Brewer.
- Brewer, identified as a court officer, says Ashlee told him where Melodee is and who she is with, before allegedly brandishing a box cutter and locking him inside her home.
- Brewer told ABC News/NewsNation he is uncertain the information Ashlee provided was truthful.
- Melodee’s paternal grandmother, Lily Denes, publicly criticized the decision to release Ashlee and asserted Ashlee had prior mental health treatment.
- Sheriff’s PIO Raquel Zick said investigators believe that somewhere along an Oct. 9 route through CA–AZ–UT–NV, Ashlee was no longer with Melodee.
Melodee Buzzard's mother arrested on charge unrelated to her daughter's disappearance
New information:
- Ashlee Buzzard, 40, was arrested on a felony false imprisonment charge; authorities say the incident is unrelated to Melodee’s disappearance.
- Bail was set at $100,000; she was booked into the Northern Branch Jail in Santa Barbara County.
- Sheriff’s Office statement: detectives learned Ashlee prevented a victim from leaving a location; details withheld to avoid impeding the active investigation.
- Newly released surveillance video shows Ashlee and Melodee at a Lompoc rental car location on Oct. 7 wearing wigs; investigators believe Ashlee swapped wigs during the trip to avoid recognition.
Car used by missing California girl's mom on road trip had license plates swapped to 'avoid detection'
New information:
- Investigators say the rental car’s California plate (9MNG101) was swapped for a New York plate (HCG9677) beginning Oct. 8, believed to be a false or switched plate to avoid detection; the CA plate was back on the car when returned in Lompoc.
- Detectives believe Ashlee and Melodee traveled as far as Nebraska, with a return route including Kansas; the car was observed in Green River and Panguitch (Utah), northwest Arizona, Primm (Nevada), and Rancho Cucamonga (California) on or around Oct. 9.
- Melodee was last seen via surveillance on Oct. 9 along the return route near the Colorado–Utah border.
- Sheriff’s office says both Ashlee and Melodee appeared to wear wigs at the Oct. 7 rental location; Melodee’s wig looked darker and straighter than her natural hair.
- Mother Ashlee Buzzard remains uncooperative and has not confirmed Melodee’s location or welfare.
- Authorities request public tips and any video footage from Oct. 9–10 along the stated route; FBI Los Angeles Field Office continues assisting.
Melodee Buzzard disappearance: FBI, detectives execute search warrants as 'at-risk' 9-year-old remains missing
New information:
- On Oct. 30, 2025, FBI and Santa Barbara County Sheriff's detectives executed follow-up search warrants at the Buzzards' Lompoc residence, a storage locker, and the rental car tied to the case.
- Detectives escorted mother Ashlee Buzzard to an alternate location to allow an extended search of the residence.
- Investigators reiterated the case remains a missing person investigation; no arrests have been made.
- Sheriff’s Lt. Chris Gotschall emphasized the value of federal collaboration to use every available tool in the case.