Authorities in California are asking for the public’s help in locating 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, who has been missing for an entire year.
In a bulletin released Wednesday, Oct. 15, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said it launched an investigation after a school official reported Melodee’s prolonged absence on Tuesday, Oct. 14.
Deputies went to the family’s home on Mars Avenue to contact Melodee and her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, but neither was present. According to ABC News, no clear explanation was given for Melodee’s whereabouts.
When deputies returned the next evening, they found Ashlee at the residence but not Melodee. ABC News reported that no one else lived in the home. The sheriff’s office spokesperson, Raquel Zick, did not disclose what Ashlee told investigators.
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Officials said the last verified contact with Melodee occurred a year ago, and the most recent photo of her was taken two years ago, when she was 7.
“We do need the public’s help, because we have a giant, one-year segment of this child’s life that we can’t account for,” Zick told ABC News. “We can’t say where she’s been for the past year, and we really need some help with that.”
According to authorities, Melodee was homeschooled and had not checked in since October 2024. However, the California Department of Education told ABC News there was no record of Ashlee filing the required private school affidavit for homeschooling.
Zick emphasized that this is not a homicide investigation, but rather an “at-risk missing juvenile case.” She added, “It definitely does warrant being called suspicious.”
Anyone who has seen Melodee or had contact with her within the past year is urged to contact sheriff’s detectives at (805) 681-4150, or use the anonymous tip line at (805) 681-4171. Information can also be submitted online at SBSheriff.org.
“Even small details may be critical in helping investigators ensure her safety,” the sheriff’s office said in its bulletin.
