A nine-year-old girl from Lompoc, California, was found dead in a remote area of Wayne County, Utah, more than two months after she vanished during a cross-country road trip with her mother, who now faces murder charges in what authorities described as a calculated killing.
Melodee Buzzard’s decomposed body was discovered on December 6, 2025, by a couple taking photographs off East State Route 24 outside Caineville, Utah. The remains were found in a rural area and showed evidence of gunshot wounds to the head, authorities confirmed.
Ashlee Buzzard, 40, was arrested on December 23, 2025, at her Vandenberg Village residence and charged with first-degree murder. She pleaded not guilty during her arraignment on December 26, 2025, and was ordered held without bail. Prosecutors are seeking life in prison without parole.
The investigation began on October 14, 2025, when school administrators at Lompoc Unified School District reported Melodee’s extended absence to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. Detectives quickly determined that mother and daughter had embarked on an unusual journey that would be Melodee’s last.
Surveillance footage from October 7, 2025, captured both Melodee and Ashlee Buzzard at a car rental business, with both apparently wearing wigs. The mother wore wigs during the entire three-day road trip to the Nebraska area, investigators said, in what appeared to be efforts to disguise their appearances.
The journey took them through multiple states. Melodee was last seen on October 9, 2025, on surveillance video near the Colorado-Utah border. Detectives believe she was killed shortly after that final sighting. Ashlee Buzzard returned home to Lompoc on October 10, 2025, without her daughter.
During the trip, Ashlee Buzzard switched license plates on the rental car, replacing California plates with New York plates before eventually restoring the original plates upon her return, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
A crucial break in the case came when detectives served search warrants at Ashlee Buzzard’s residence on October 30, 2025. An expended cartridge case was found at the home. While the murder weapon has not been recovered, this finding would prove vital to the investigation.
On December 22, 2025, DNA analysis confirmed a familial match between the remains discovered in Utah and Ashlee Buzzard. Cartridge cases recovered from the Utah crime scene were linked to the cartridge case found at the residence in Lompoc.
“This level of criminal activity is particularly shocking given the calculated, cold-blooded and criminally sophisticated premeditation and heartlessness that went into planning it,” Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said at a news conference.
The sheriff added that maternal filicide is rare and always difficult to comprehend. Investigators have recovered a significant amount of evidence pointing to Ashlee Buzzard’s involvement in her daughter’s death, Brown said, though a motive has not been established. Authorities believe she acted alone in the crime.
Melodee’s paternal grandmother, Lilly Denes, expressed outrage outside the Santa Barbara County courthouse following the arraignment. The family had not seen the girl in several years, according to relatives. Melodee’s father, Rubiell Meza, died in 2016.
“The detective called me this morning to let me know that they found the baby and the baby is with her dad,” Denes told reporters. “I knew he was telling me that the baby is dead.”
The investigation involved extensive coordination among multiple law enforcement agencies across several states. The FBI provided laboratory services and investigative support, while sheriff’s offices and police departments in Utah, Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska assisted with the multi-state inquiry.
Throughout the investigation, Ashlee Buzzard remained uncooperative with detectives, authorities said. She provided no verifiable explanation for her daughter’s whereabouts when deputies first contacted her in October 2025. That lack of cooperation continued through her December 23, 2025, arrest.
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s detectives encountered deliberate efforts to prevent them from locating Melodee and uncovering the truth, Brown said. Despite these obstacles, investigators remained methodical and relentless, relying on physical, digital and forensic evidence when cooperation was withheld.
The case has drawn national attention from true-crime followers and concerned citizens who hoped for a different outcome. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office thanked members of the public and media nationwide for their engagement, tips and continued attention to the case.
Ashlee Buzzard’s next scheduled court appearance is January 7 for a preliminary hearing. She faces one count of first-degree murder with special allegations, including that the murder was committed by means of lying in wait and that she personally and intentionally discharged a firearm, causing death. She has denied all special allegations.
The investigation remains active as prosecutors prepare their case for trial. Authorities expressed their commitment to working closely with the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office to pursue justice with integrity and compassion for the victim and her family.