Missing 9-year-old girl may have been taken halfway across the country; FBI joins search

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (KOLN/Gray News) - Authorities in California say a missing girl could be as far away as Nebraska, and her mother is not helping investigators.

According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, an investigation began into the whereabouts of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard after a school administrator reported the girl’s prolonged absence earlier this month.

A sheriff’s office spokesperson shared that the girl’s disappearance was considered “suspicious.”

Melodee was reportedly being homeschooled for the last few years, but the Lompoc Unified School District worked with investigators to help narrow down the timeline of when she was seen, the sheriff’s office said.

“Lompoc Unified School District deserves credit for recognizing that something wasn’t right, reaching out, and continuing to assist with this investigation,” Lieutenant Chris Gotschall said.

Deputies said they have also attempted to contact Melodee and her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, at their home in Lompoc, but the girl was not there, and they were given no clear explanation of where she might be.

Ashlee Buzzard has not cooperated with law enforcement when it comes to providing information about her daughter’s location, authorities noted.

The sheriff’s office said detectives have gathered evidence indicating that Melodee was with her mother as recently as Oct. 7 after initially saying she was last seen in August.

But detectives have also determined that Ashlee Buzzard may have driven with Melodee in a White Chevrolet Malibu rental car to locations outside of California, possibly as far away as Nebraska.

“At this point in the investigation, Ashlee Buzzard remains uncooperative and has not provided detectives with any information about Melodee’s current location or condition. The primary goal of this investigation is to verify the location and welfare of Melodee Buzzard and ensure that she is safe,” the sheriff’s office said.

Authorities added that they remain extremely committed to their investigation, with the FBI also assisting in the search for Melodee.

Detectives said they have conducted a thorough search of the family’s home and are continuing to follow leads in the case.

“We’re closer to understanding what happened to Melodee,” Gotschall said.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public not to conduct their own searches or investigations, but if anyone has any further information, they can contact detectives at 805-681-4150.