Detectives Say 9-Year-Old Melodee Buzzard’s Appearance May Have Been Altered with a Wig Before She Disappeared

More than two weeks after the search began for missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard in California, investigators have released new information — including surveillance footage and a revised timeline of her disappearance.

On Friday, Oct. 24, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office shared surveillance photos showing Melodee at a California car rental business on Oct. 7, one week before she was reported missing.

In the footage, Melodee appears to be wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled up and 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. Detectives also note that [Melodee’s mother, 35-year-old Ashlee Buzzard] is known to wear wigs.”

Ashlee reportedly rented a white Chevrolet Malibu with the license plate 9MNG101, according to the Los Angeles Times. The mother and daughter then began a three-day road trip from Lompoc, California, to Nebraska.

The investigation into Melodee’s disappearance began on Oct. 14, when a local school alerted authorities about her “extended absence.” Deputies who visited Ashlee’s Lompoc home discovered that Melodee was missing. When they later spoke to Ashlee, she provided “no verifiable explanation for her whereabouts,” per the sheriff’s statement.

Authorities have since confirmed that Ashlee returned to her home on Oct. 10, after traveling back from Nebraska through Kansas — but Melodee was not in the car.

“Detectives are now focused on determining where Melodee was during those three days and where she may be now,” the sheriff’s office said. Sheriff Bill Brown added, “Our detectives are following every lead in this case. We continue to seek information from the public that could help us find Melodee. We remain determined to bring her home safely.”

This latest update follows earlier reports that the “at-risk” child had not been seen in a year. According to the sheriff’s office, Melodee was homeschooled and had not checked in with educational authorities since October 2024.

Melodee was reported missing by the Lompoc Unified School District after she failed to pick up assignments following her August enrollment in an independent learning program, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing a statement from the school.

However, a spokesperson for the California Department of Education told ABC News there was no record of Ashlee filing the required yearly private school affidavit for homeschooling.

In an updated statement on Monday, Oct. 20, the sheriff’s office said Ashlee is refusing to cooperate with investigators.

Melodee’s extended family has expressed concern for her safety, saying Ashlee has a history of mental illness and has cut off contact for years. “Ashlee is mentally unstable, and my mom tried to get custody or at least grandparent rights to visit Melodee because [Ashlee] wasn’t letting our side of the family see her,” said Vicky Shade, Melodee’s aunt, in comments to the Times.

Shade added that her brother, Rubiell Meza — Melodee’s father — died in a motorcycle accident shortly after the child was born.

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

The FBI is now assisting in the investigation. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office at (805) 681-4150, submit tips via the anonymous line at (805) 681-4171, or report online through the sheriff’s office website.