Ashlee Buzzard, the mother of missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, has been taken into custody in reference to the investigation into her lacking daughter, sources informed ABC Information.
A number of regulation enforcement sources informed ABC Information that Melodee’s physique was present in early December in Utah in an space the place Melodee and Ashlee Buzzard traveled in October. Legislation enforcement believes Melodee was killed, and that she was possible useless in October, earlier than she was recognized to be lacking, sources mentioned.
The FBI and Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Workplace are on the lookout for lacking 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard.
FBI
Ashlee Buzzard was taken into custody following DNA outcomes from the recovered stays, sources mentioned.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Workplace has not but commented and solely mentioned it should share “main developments” in Melodee’s case at a information convention on Tuesday.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s workplace launched this surveillance picture of Ashlee Buzzard, apparently carrying a wig, on Oct. 7, 2025, in California.
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Workplace
The investigation into Melodee’s disappearance was sparked on Oct. 14 when a faculty district administrator reported her “prolonged absence” to authorities, the sheriff’s workplace mentioned.
Authorities decided Melodee and Ashlee Buzzard left their Lompoc, California, residence on Oct. 7 for a three-day street journey that took them to the Nebraska space, the sheriff’s workplace mentioned.
Melodee was final seen alive on Oct. 9 close to the Colorado-Utah border, in response to authorities.
Ashlee Buzzard returned residence to Lompoc on Oct. 10 with the automobile she and Melodee had rented on Oct. 7 — however Melodee was not together with her, the sheriff’s workplace mentioned.
Authorities have claimed Ashlee Buzzard wore wigs and swapped license plates through the journey, and so they mentioned Ashlee Buzzard did not cooperate with the seek for Melodee.
It is a creating story. Please test again for updates.
