9yo California school girl reported missing by school district after a year, while her mother refuses to find her daughter

California authorities are searching for 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard after a school official flagged her prolonged absence from an independent studies program. This set off an investigation that has now created uncertainty about when anyone last saw the girl.

At first, investigators characterized the case as a child who last seen in October 2024. However, the sheriff’s office, working with the school district, confirmed that school officials saw Melodee was as recently as August 2025, which shifted the timeline.

Deputies say they have received no verified information about Melodee’s current whereabouts and that the child’s mother has been uncooperative with investigators.

Shifting timeline, verified sightings

According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, in mid-October, 2025, a Lompoc Unified School District administrator notified the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office that Melodee had not checked in for months after registering in a homeschool program.

Detectives visited the family’s home, where deputies say initial attempts to make contact found the residence empty. On a subsequent visit only Melodee’s mother, Ashlee Buzzard, was present and provided no clear explanation for the girl’s whereabouts.

Meanwhile, officials have said the most recent verified photograph of Melodee is from about two years ago. This complicates efforts to confirm reports of an August sighting. Multiple news outlets have noted that while some community members told reporters they had seen someone matching Melodee’s description in late summer, authorities have not confirmed those tips as positive identifications. The sheriff’s office is treating the case as an “at-risk missing juvenile” while detectives follow leads.

Mother uncooperative amid personal issues

Meanwhile, law enforcement sources and local reporting have described Melodee’s mother, Ashlee, as uncooperative with detectives; neighbors and relatives interviewed by reporters have said family relationships were strained for years, and community members have placed signs reading “Where is Melodee?” outside the family home.

Ashlee has a history of mental illness, and Melodee’s father died in a motorcycle accident when she was an infant. Ashlee has since refused to let family members see the girl.

Reports also say Ashlee is facing multiple civil cases from creditors for unpaid debts, and that one process server in late 2024 noted the house appeared vacant and she was difficult to locate at that time.

The FBI’s Los Angeles field office has joined the search, a development authorities say will provide further nvestigative resources as they try to resolve discrepancies in the timeline of Melodee’s potential disappearance and verify reported recent sightings. Investigators ask anyone with information — no matter how small — to contact the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office or the FBI tip line.