The search for nine-year-old Melodee Buzzard has gripped the quiet community of Lompoc, California, after a routine student absence check morphed into a deeply troubling missing person investigation. Melodee, a fourth-grade student described by friends and teachers as kind-hearted and artistic, hasn’t been verifiably seen by non-family members in months, a prolonged disappearance that has officially classified her as “at-risk.” What really has law enforcement and a heartbroken family deeply concerned is the stunning revelation that Melodee’s mother, Ashlee Buzzard, recently took a cross-country trip with the girl but returned to the Central Coast completely alone—and is now refusing to cooperate with detectives.
The alarm was first raised when school administrators, noticing Melodee’s extended absence, were unable to reach her family. When Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Detectives and agents from the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office arrived at the family’s Mars Avenue residence to conduct a welfare check, they found the home empty. This discovery immediately escalated the case, and investigators soon pieced together a crucial, unsettling timeline: Melodee was last seen with her mother, Ashlee, as recently as October 7, 2025, embarking on a trip in a white Chevrolet Malibu rental car, a vehicle that may have taken them as far as Nebraska. The unsettling part? That rental car has since been returned, and the child’s mother is back in the area, yet Melodee is nowhere to be found.
The official timeline for the little girl’s disappearance is perplexing and frustrating for everyone involved. While early reports suggested the last verified contact with Melodee was approximately a year ago, an updated investigation confirmed a more recent sighting in August 2025 when the mother and daughter registered for an independent study program through the Lompoc Unified School District. It was this careful check by school staff that initiated the investigation. Now, the final confirmed date the child was seen is October 7, and authorities are zeroing in on the days between that sighting and October 14, when detectives could not locate her while serving a search warrant at the home.
In the face of these grave concerns, Melodee’s mother, Ashlee Buzzard, has proven to be an impossible roadblock for investigators. Officials have stated repeatedly that Ashlee is “uncooperative” and has failed to provide any verifiable explanation for Melodee’s current location or condition. This silence has forced law enforcement to coordinate efforts with state and federal agencies across the country, as they follow every lead to try and locate the nine-year-old who loved drawing and reading. The lack of clarity has only fueled the community’s anguish.
For Melodee’s extended family, this situation is the heartbreaking culmination of years of turmoil. Melodee’s grandmother, Lori Miranda, spoke publicly with profound fear, sharing that Ashlee had cut off contact with much of the family for over two years. She detailed a history of concern, explaining that Ashlee experienced a “drastic decline” in her mental health following the tragic death of Melodee’s father in a 2016 car crash when the girl was still an infant. This wasn’t the first time authorities intervened; Miranda recalled an earlier incident where officials found the home in severe disarray, leading to Melodee’s temporary placement in protective services.
“Ashlee should be in a hospital receiving treatment right now,” Miranda pleaded, voicing deep concern for her daughter’s mental stability and, by extension, Melodee’s safety. Her worst fear is that her granddaughter may have been left with someone, perhaps an extended family member or friend, who is completely unaware that the girl is officially a missing person. Sheriff Bill Brown echoed this sentiment, expressing hope that Melodee might simply be with someone who is currently out of the loop.
As the search for the missing fourth-grader continues, law enforcement is desperately urging the public to step forward. Every passing day heightens the sense of urgency for Melodee, who is described as being approximately 4 feet 6 inches tall and weighing about 60 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. The most recent photo of her is from two years ago, meaning her appearance may have changed.
Investigators stress that even the smallest, seemingly insignificant detail could be the one that finally breaks this “perplexing” case. The collective hope across Lompoc is simple, painful, and clear: “Someone, somewhere, knows something. Please, help us find Melodee before it’s too late.”
