Cause of Death for Melodee Buzzard Revealed, as Mom Is Charged Weeks After 9-Year-Old’s Eerie Disappearance

Authorities say 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, whose disappearance in October prompted a weeks-long search across multiple states, died from gunshot wounds to the head.

Melodee was last seen on Oct. 9 with her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, near the Colorado–Utah border, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators located Melodee’s remains in a remote area of Caineville, Utah, on Dec. 6. Ashlee Buzzard was arrested about three weeks later, the sheriff’s office said this week. The child’s body was decomposed, and officials have previously said they believed she was likely killed in October.

DNA testing confirmed on Monday, Dec. 22, that the remains were Melodee’s.

The sheriff’s office did not immediately provide details about how many times Melodee was shot or whether she suffered additional injuries. On Wednesday, Dec. 24, the agency said it had no further information to share.

Melodee’s disappearance was reported on Oct. 14 after her school contacted law enforcement about her “prolonged” absence.

Authorities have said Ashlee, 40, was uncooperative from early in the investigation. Police allege she traveled through several states with Melodee beginning Oct. 7 and returned home on Oct. 10 without the child.

Investigators also allege Ashlee altered Melodee’s appearance during the trip, including by using a wig to “alter her appearance.”

Surveillance footage from a California car rental business dated Oct. 7 shows Melodee wearing a hoodie with short, wavy hair—different from the long curls shown in missing-person posters.

In November, Ashlee was arrested on an unrelated false-imprisonment allegation.

In that case, the alleged victim told police Ashlee brandished a box cutter and prevented him from leaving her home, describing her as “visibly distressed after sharing information she appeared to regret disclosing,” KTLA and ABC News reported at the time, citing officials.

Those charges were later dropped after an audio recording played in court contradicted the man’s account and indicated Ashlee opened the door for him to leave, KEYT reported at the time.

Family members have said Ashlee kept Melodee away from them for years. Melodee’s father died in a car accident when she was a baby.

Ashlee has been charged with first-degree murder and is being held without bail at the Santa Barbara County Northern Branch Jail, the sheriff’s office said.

It was not immediately clear whether she has retained an attorney to speak on her behalf. Online court records were not available as of Wednesday.