Found Deceased CA - Melodee Buzzard, 9, Vandenberg Village, 14 Oct 2025 *Mother arrested*

[cherrymeg]

Thank you for the information, much appreciated.

Ashlee's Mom stated she is bipolar. Do you have an opinion as to whether that could relate to her choice to murder Melodee?

Bipolar could maybe explain AB’s paranoia and maybe her treatment or music her child. She was driving around wearing a wig changing license plates. If she had killed her daughter in the home that could be a moment of insanity. She could plan and drive and rent a car she is sane enough to be held accountable for her actions. Jmo. This seemed planned her mental health might have played a role in why this happened or why she isolated her daughter from regular school and family. I feel like her appearance in court looks calculated. She is drying to look older than she is. She killed her kid and seemed pretty cold about it.

 

[cherrymeg]

Quite possibly. Or was she waiting for the perfect quiet location and no one else around? I don't think we will ever really know truth but it's very obvious a lot of planning went into it.

She planned this but how did she see it ending. Was she planning on leaving the country or state or trying to disappear? Eventually you hope someone would ask where her daughter was.

 

[Spectrix]

If you cross state lines with your child is that a crime.

What crime would that be, exactly? There must be an awful lot of criminals who happen to live near state borders

I was wondering if this would be an FBI case. If there was planning in one state and murder in another, also she was a kid that was reported missing. I was hoping she wasn’t dead and her mom was just hiding her somewhere.

The California Sheriffs Dept seems to think that it's appropriate for California State to handle the case as they allege that the crime was premeditated there. There may be some misdemeanours in Utah, Nebraska or Colorado if Ashlee was swapping licence plates but it's next to meaningless if she is going to be put into jail for life without parole anyway.

-

 

[Eli9]

The more I think about possible motive, the more questions I have.
It has been reported that Ashlee was in significant debt, and that she was living off welfare income for herself and for Melodee. So it stands to reason that she'd want to keep hold of Melodee even if only for extra financial support.

Melodee was likely killed on the 9th October, and just 5 days later (14th October), Melodee's school district contacted police to report truancy and request a welfare check.
But the timing of that was really just by chance, because by that time, Melodee had not been seen in at least 12 months. The school district only contact police as a last resort, and in the lead up to this, there would have been a string of emails, phone calls and posted letters which Ashlee ignored.

"Parents are not required to report to their school district. However, public school districts are required to verify a child’s exemption from compulsory education by verifying that the private school affidavit filing requirements have been met." (source: - California Education)

Although the sheriff's office said Melodee is homeschooled, a California Department of Education spokesperson said there's no record of Ashlee Buzzard filing an annual private school affidavit, which is a requirement for homeschooling.
"Per state law, the CDE does not assess or physically inspect private or homeschools," the spokesperson said. "Filing an annual affidavit is the only thing that is required." (source: ABC News)

So sure, perhaps Ashlee did fear the eventual involvement of CPS, but all she had to do to avoid that was sign a single form.
Instead of that, she decided to take Melodee on this elaborate road trip to the desert in the middle of nowhere, and murder her

I think the motive is what @Izzylizzy pointed out

We don't know what Melodee could have told CPS about her mother and her home life.

Exactly. I think Melodee would have a lot to say about her mother and her home life.

And I think the motive is the shame Ashlee would experience. Simple shame and embarrassment.

Whether we like it or not judgement from others can help keep us from making stupid decisions. Ashlee didn't have those people in her life. She shielded herself from everyone. Except possibly those she may have been making money from.

I think Ashlee had secrets she didn't want exposed.

JMO. MOO

 

[sasha17]

Vinelink page for Ashlee: https://vinelink.vineapps.com/person-detail/offender/52231435

 

[Stunned]

I think the motive is what @Izzylizzy pointed out

Exactly. I think Melodee would have a lot to say about her mother and her home life.

And I think the motive is the shame Ashlee would experience. Simple shame and embarrassment.

Whether we like it or not judgement from others can help keep us from making stupid decisions. Ashlee didn't have those people in her life. She shielded herself from everyone. Except possibly those she may have been making money from.

I think Ashlee had secrets she didn't want exposed.

JMO. MOO

I don't she's capable of feeling shame or embarrassment. IMO

 

[Ontario Mom]

I don't she's capable of feeling shame or embarrassment. IMO

I have to agree that someone that can do what she did to her own child, and not just do it, but plan it out over time and then act on it, would seem to be incapable of thinking like a normal person that might feel shame. I can't get my head around what she did to that poor little girl. To me, she's the literal definition of a monster.

jmo

 

[HollyHunter9]

She planned this but how did she see it ending. Was she planning on leaving the country or state or trying to disappear? Eventually you hope someone would ask where her daughter was.

I think she kept melodee cut off from so much... family, school, friends that she probably hoped no one would come looking or asking. She also may have been planning to move and didn't get a chance to follow through with that part of the plan yet. Although there is clearly a lot of planning, some aspects are a bit slap dash...like the wigs. She's clearly trying to disguise them both but if anything it draws more attention because the wigs look really obvious, especially AB one (to me anyway).

 

[Stunned]

I think she kept melodee cut off from so much... family, school, friends that she probably hoped no one would come looking or asking. She also may have been planning to move and didn't get a chance to follow through with that part of the plan yet. Although there is clearly a lot of planning, some aspects are a bit slap dash...like the wigs. She's clearly trying to disguise them both but if anything it draws more attention because the wigs look really obvious, especially AB one (to me anyway).

I think she didn't understand that just because Melodee was so unimportant to her that didn't mean she wasn't unimportant to others.

 

[HollyHunter9]

I think she didn't understand that just because Melodee was so unimportant to her that didn't mean she wasn't unimportant to others.

Yes, you're right! You can see in the car rental video her distain towards melodee. She's not warm towards her at all.

 

[gnsndr33]

Its weird to me the car rental place didnt think it was strange that a child was wearing a wig. I know kids do it for fun but it seems weird she has a hood on covering it. I myself would have said something to the child "what a pretty wig you have on" just to see what reaction mom and Daughter had. If I didnt feel comfortable with their reactions I would have 100% reported it as suspicious. Maybe even took my time doing paperwork waiting for cops to show up. Not that they could have done anything but maybe it would have stopped the trip from happening. * Im in no way blaming car rental place. Just saying in today's times you can't ignore anything.
Its just so heartbroken for Melodee. I hope AB gets everything she deserves.

 

[sasha17]

Its weird to me the car rental place didnt think it was strange that a child was wearing a wig. I know kids do it for fun but it seems weird she has a hood on covering it. I myself would have said something to the child "what a pretty wig you have on" just to see what reaction mom and Daughter had. If I didnt feel comfortable with their reactions I would have 100% reported it as suspicious. Maybe even took my time doing paperwork waiting for cops to show up. Not that they could have done anything but maybe it would have stopped the trip from happening. * Im in no way blaming car rental place. Just saying in today's times you can't ignore anything.
Its just so heartbroken for Melodee. I hope AB gets everything she deserves.

I disagree. I don't think it's necessarily suspicious for a kid to wear a wig. First, you have to assume the clerk at the car rental place even noticed it was a wig. But I know two kids who wear wigs. One has cancer and the other has alopecia. There are valid reasons for kids to wear wigs, in addition to just playing around.