What began as a sudden mother-daughter getaway has ended in tragedy.
The body of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard has been found, and her mother is now in custody more than two months after the California child vanished during what authorities have described as an impromptu road trip.
According to the New York Post, Ashlee Buzzard was arrested Tuesday in connection with her daughter’s disappearance, according to law enforcement sources who spoke with ABC News. The arrest comes weeks after Melodee’s remains were discovered in Utah in early December, officials confirmed.
Investigators say Melodee’s body was located in an area the girl had traveled through with her mother in October. Authorities believe the child was killed and likely died that same month, before she was ever reported missing.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said it would release “major developments” in the case during a press briefing scheduled for Tuesday evening.
According to investigators, Ashlee Buzzard and her daughter were seen on Oct. 7 entering a Santa Barbara car rental location wearing wigs. The pair rented a Chevrolet Malibu and left the area shortly afterward.
The following day, the rental car was spotted on the road bearing New York license plates, a detail that later raised alarms for investigators. When the vehicle was returned in California on Oct. 10, the original plates had been reattached. Melodee was no longer with her mother.
Authorities have not disclosed what occurred during the days between the rental and the vehicle’s return, but law enforcement sources say the timeline is central to the ongoing investigation.
Buzzard, 40, had previously faced felony false imprisonment charges last month in an unrelated case. Those charges stemmed from allegations that she attempted to prevent a man from leaving her home. The case was ultimately dismissed after an audio recording surfaced that reportedly contradicted the accuser’s claims. The man involved described himself as a “legal document assistant.”
Those charges were dropped and were not connected to Melodee’s disappearance, officials have said.
Melodee was officially reported missing in October after staff at the Lompoc Unified School District raised concerns.
The case quickly drew attention as days turned into weeks with no sign of the child.
Now, with Melodee’s body recovered and her mother under arrest, investigators say the case has entered a new and critical phase. Authorities have not yet released details about potential charges or how Melodee died, but further information is expected as the investigation continues.
