Melodee Buzzard, a 9-year-old from Lompoc, California, has been missing since Oct. 7.
According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, school officials reported her missing on Oct. 14 after noticing she had not been seen for an extended period. When deputies visited her home, they found her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, but Melodee was nowhere to be found. Authorities said Ashlee did not offer a clear explanation for her daughter’s whereabouts.
Detectives have identified a three-day “critical timeline” in which Melodee likely vanished. They believe she went missing sometime between Oct. 7 and Oct. 10 while she and her mother were traveling from California to Nebraska.
Two weeks later, investigators released surveillance photos that appeared to show Melodee wearing a wig at a car rental business on Oct. 7. Police allege the mother-daughter pair traveled across several states before Ashlee returned home to Lompoc without Melodee.
“Detectives are now focused on determining where Melodee was during those three days and where she may be now,” the sheriff’s office said.
Authorities have classified Melodee as “at-risk” due to her age and the duration of her disappearance. Officials added that she had been homeschooled in the past and was last recorded as attending school in August 2025.
Last Confirmed Sighting on Oct. 7
Surveillance footage captured Melodee at a car rental agency near Lompoc, roughly 50 miles north of Santa Barbara, on Oct. 7, 2025. She was seen wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, patterned black leggings, and a wig with darker, straighter hair than her natural look.
“Investigators also noted the wig may have been used to alter her appearance,” the sheriff’s office said in an Oct. 24 statement, adding that Ashlee Buzzard, 35, is also known to wear wigs.
A Road Trip That Ended Without Melodee
Authorities say the pair traveled to Nebraska in a white Chevrolet Malibu with the license plate 9MNG101. They believe the return route included a stop in Kansas.
On Oct. 10, Ashlee returned to Lompoc — driving the same rental car she left with — but without Melodee.
School Officials Raised the Alarm
A week after Melodee’s last sighting, an administrator from the Lompoc Unified School District reported her “extended absence.” The report came after Melodee failed to collect assignments from her independent learning program, according to the Los Angeles Times.
That same day, deputies visited the family’s home, but “Melodee was not at the home, and no verifiable explanation for her whereabouts was provided,” authorities said.
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Mother Allegedly Uncooperative with Investigators
Authorities have stated that Ashlee has not been cooperating with the ongoing search.
“At this stage, Ashlee remains uncooperative and has not provided any information about Melodee’s current location or welfare,” the sheriff’s office said in an Oct. 20 statement.
While Ashlee has not commented publicly, relatives have voiced concern for both mother and daughter.
“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 Melodee’s aunt, Vicky Shade, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.
Melodee’s father, Rubiell Meza, died in a motorcycle accident shortly after her birth.
Melodee Remains an ‘At-Risk’ Missing Child
Three weeks after her disappearance, Melodee remains missing. The sheriff’s office describes her as approximately 4 feet 6 inches tall, 60 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.
“Our detectives are following every lead in this case. We continue to seek information from the public that could help us find Melodee,” said Sheriff Bill Brown. “We remain determined to bring her home safely.”
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Authorities say Melodee’s last confirmed public appearance was in August 2025. The most recent photo available was taken in 2023.
According to ABC News, records show no official homeschooling paperwork was filed for Melodee, though she had been enrolled in an independent learning program within the Lompoc Unified School District that August.
Family Pleads for Melodee’s Safe Return
Family members held a vigil in Lompoc on Oct. 24 to pray for Melodee’s safe return.
“This is so sad,” said her aunt, Bridgette Truhitte, according to the Lompoc Record. “I go to bed at night and wake up every 40 minutes. Melodee is such a sweet girl. I hope she’s okay.”
Her grandmother, Lilly Denes, issued a heartfelt plea: “If she’s listening, we love you. We’re here for you, and we just want you to be happy. Call me. There are numbers on the TV that you can call, and I will come pick you up.”
Another aunt, Lizabeth Meza, told NewsNation she had not seen Melodee in four years. “She was just a little 4-year-old girl when we knew her,” she said. “That nose definitely reminds me of her dad’s.”
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How to Help
Sheriff’s detectives and the FBI are urging anyone with information about Melodee Buzzard’s disappearance—or anyone who has had contact with her in the past year—to come forward.
You can reach investigators at (805) 681-4150, the anonymous tip line at (805) 681-4171, or submit information online through the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office website.
