True Crime Society – Where is missing child Melodee Buzzard?

Melodee Buzzard was 9 years old when it was discovered in October 2025 that she was missing.

Melodee had been living with her mother Ashlee Buzzard in Vandenberg Village, near Lompoc in California. They lived in a home in the 500 block of Mars Avenue.

Melodee’s father Rubiell Meza died in a motorcycle crash when Melodee was around six months old. Based on his obituary, it doesn’t appear that he and Ashlee were together at the time of his death.

He is survived by his mother Lilly Denes, sisters Vicky Shade and Bridgette Truhitte and husband Mike, brothers Humberto Meza Jr., Marvin Meza and wife Brandi Meza, and Damien Denes and wife Katie Denes, daughters Corinna Meza and Melodee Meza, grandchildren Julian and Josiah , grandmother Ramona Rangel Bautista and several aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins.

The Los Angeles Times does say though that Ashlee and Rubiell were living with his mother at the time of his death and Ashlee moved away shortly after.

According to family, Rubiell’s death kickstarted a decline in mental health in Ashlee.

Lori Miranda, Ashlee’s mother, said recently they had not seen or spoken to Ashlee in more than two years.

“[Ashlee] hasn’t let us see [Melodee] for a few years,” Bridgett Truitt, Melodee’s aunt, told KEYT. “And all of us have tried. But we never stopped thinking about her or loving her or praying for her.”

Vicky Shade, Melodee’s aunt, said that the girl’s mother has a long history of mental illness and refused to let relatives visit the girl.

“Ashlee is mentally unstable and my mom tried to get custody or at least grandparent rights to visit Melodee because she [Ashlee] wasn’t letting our side of the family see her,” Vicky said.

Another aunt, Lizabeth Meza, said that Ashlee has attempted suicide multiple times in the past and has been hospitalised for treatment previously.

The home where Melodee and Ashlee were living was described as being in ‘disarray.’ There was rotten food in the refrigerator and the house was unclean.

“Everybody’s dragging [Ashlee] around,” Lori told the media. “She should be at the hospital, and you should be talking to her there instead of everybody rattling her cage and then trying to act like they’re trying to help.”

In 2017, Ashlee filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy and had at least five collections cases for unpaid debts filed against her in Santa Barbara County Superior Court. This includes cases filed against her by Capital One Bank in May and December, and by Crown Asset Management last November.

Melodee was last seen by employees of the Lompoc Unified School District in August 2025. Melodee had been enrolled in an independent learning program through the district.

According to the school’s website, instruction through that program takes place through a combination of online work, parent-supported learning at home, and regular one-on-one teacher meetings. The curriculum is meant to be flexible, in hopes of keeping students with specific learning needs motivated and engaged, but some in the education world say this setup could explain why it may have taken a bit longer to suspect something was amiss as an absence might not be noticed until after an assignment is due, which could be as long as a month out from the time it was assigned.

She had apparently been homeschooled for several years.

However, the California Department of Education has no record of Ashlee filing a private school affidavit, which is a requirement for homeschooling, according to department spokesperson Scott Roark.

When Melodee and Ashlee failed to pick up her assignments from the school district, employees attempted to reach the family. When they could not get in contact with them, law enforcement were contacted.

“Lompoc Unified School District deserves credit for recognizing that something wasn’t right, reaching out, and continuing to assist with this investigation,” Sheriff’s Lt. Chris Gotschall said in a statement. “This important update helps narrow a significant gap in the timeline of when she was last known to be seen and because of that, we’re closer to understanding what happened to Melodee.”

Investigators have determined that the critical timeline in this case is from October 7 to October 10, 2025.

Melodee was seen on CCTV at a car rental business on October 7.

In the footage, Melodee can be seen wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled up, and what appears to be a wig that is darker and straighter than her natural hair, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office.

“Investigators also noted the wig may have been used to alter her appearance,” the statement reads. “Detectives also note that [Melodee’s mother, 35-year-old Ashlee Buzzard] is known to wear wigs.”

Ashlee rented a white Chevrolet Malibu with the license plate 9MNG101, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Ashlee and Melodee then went on a three-day road trip from Lompoc, California to Nebraska.

This drive is almost 1500 miles/2400kms and would have taken around 23 hours, one way.

Ashlee returned home on October 10, after driving from Nebraska through Kansas. Authorities have said that Melodee was not in the car.

This would have meant that Ashlee would have been driving at least 15 hours per day to make the return journey in three days.

“Detectives are now focused on determining where Melodee was during those three days and where she may be now,” the sheriff’s office said.

“Our detectives are following every lead in this case. We continue to seek information from the public that could help us find Melodee,” Sheriff Bill Brown said. “We remain determined to bring her home safely.”

When the school district notified police that they could not get in touch with Melodee or Ashlee, authorities went to the home. Ashlee was unable to provide a reasonable explanation of where Melodee was.

On October 15, 2025, a search warrant was served at the residence. Melodee was not located and Ashlee was said to not be cooperating with police.

Just days later, on October 18, 2025, the FBI joined the search for Melodee.

“The Sheriff’s Office shares the community’s concern for Melodee’s safety and is committed to bringing her home,” said Sheriff Bill Brown in a press release. “We are grateful to the media for disseminating Melodee’s photo and the information surrounding her disappearance far and wide, which we hope will help us solve this perplexing case. We are hopeful that Melodee might be with someone – perhaps an extended family member or friend – who may not be aware of the circumstances of her disappearance.”

Melodee is described as being around 4 feet 6 inches tall and weighing 60 lbs., with brown hair and brown eyes, according to the sheriff’s office.