A missing person case from Santa Barbara County has captured the country’s attention. Nine-year-old Melodee Buzzard hadn’t been seen in school for months — and when faculty called the police to do a welfare check at her home, they found her mother, Ashlee, alone, with no sign of Melodee.
The FBI has now joined the case and has confirmed that the last sighting of Melodee was October 7. When questioned about where Melodee could have gone, Ashlee was uncooperative, forcing authorities to look elsewhere for answers. Some situations go years before yielding any answers, so it’s critical for investigators to gather as much information as early as possible.
CNN reports that the FBI was able to do just that. The first piece of evidence that gave them any semblance of clarity came from records showing that Ashlee took a rental car with unlimited miles and drove to Nebraska. The FBI still has no idea why she took that trip in the first place.
Another mystery that has emerged is surveillance footage showing Melodee walking out with her mother, wearing a wig that completely hid her hair and made her almost unrecognizable. There’s still no explanation of who they were hiding from, or even what Ashlee intended to do in Nebraska. At the moment, everything in this case is just one dead end after another.
People who know Melodee — especially her extended family — are slowly reacting as they receive updates. Some members of Melodee’s family are distraught. Her grandmother, Lilly Denes, spoke to the press about the tragedy during a vigil near Melodee’s home. Denes directed her message to Melodee herself: “If she’s listening, we love you. We’re here for you, and we just want you to be happy. Call me. There are numbers on the TV that you can call, and I will come pick you up.”
Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown had hoped that at least one family member might have an idea of what happened. But according to Melodee’s aunt, Lizabeth Meza, the family hasn’t heard from Ashlee or seen Melodee for years. Meza said she barely even recognizes Melodee anymore.
Sheriff Brown is also asking the public for help in any way they can. “Our detectives are following every lead in this case,” he said. “We continue to seek information from the public that could help us find Melodee. We remain determined to bring her home safely.”
Melodee’s father died in a motorcycle accident years ago, and for the past few years it has only been her and Ashlee. While there have been situations where mothers are entirely negligent — even abandoning their children — people are urged not to immediately assume the worst here.
Authorities are encouraging calm among those directly tied to this case. And for community members who are watching and hoping: stay alert. If anyone sees anything even tangentially related to this story — even if it’s evidence that points to a kidnapping — they are urged to come forward.
For now, authorities are simply asking for full cooperation. This is a developing story.
Published: Nov 1, 2025 12:15 pm