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

[Knox]

I also think it sounds weird as heck that they didn’t see Melodee for a long time for Ashlee would ask Lily /Melodees grandma for money. I would like to know more about that situation. Did she ask to see Melodee in return for the money? Did she say no? Did she say why she needed money? Why did she feel comfortable to ask her deceased ex boyfriends/father of her kids mom she doesn’t have contact with for money?

That likely happened for a year or so after he died. I don't think it was anything recent, as in the last five years or so.

 

[Gigglingtoes]

That likely happened for a year or so after he died. I don't think it was anything recent, as in the last five years or so.

I never heard a timeframe but that would make sense.

 

[Seattle1]

A timeline of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard's disappearance and alleged murder

Melodee Buzzard was last seen alive on Oct. 9 near the Colorado-Utah border.

abcnews.go.com

12/29/25

A timeline of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard's disappearance and alleged murder​

The timeline of the tragic case begins on Oct 7, when Melodee and Ashlee Buzzard left on a three-day road trip from their Lompoc, California, home to the Nebraska area, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's office said. Melodee Buzzard was last seen alive on Oct. 9 near the Colorado-Utah border.

[..]

Oct. 14​

The investigation into Melodee's disappearance was sparked on Oct. 14 when a school district administrator reported her "extended absence" to authorities, the sheriff's office said.

Melodee was apparently homeschooled for at least the last few years, the sheriff's office said. This August, Melodee and her mom visited the Mission Valley Independent School to enroll her in the Lompoc Unified School District's "independent study program," according to the district.

"In our independent study program, if a student fails to pick up assignments, the student is referred back to their school of residence, which then contacts the family to complete enrollment," the district told ABC News in a statement. "If attendance does not begin, the school follows mandatory truancy procedures -- including phone calls, letters, emails, and home visits. When a student or family cannot be reached after these efforts, the school requests a welfare check from law enforcement."

Melodee's paternal aunt told ABC News that Melodee lived alone with her mother in increasing isolation. The aunt said in the few times she'd seen Melodee, the little girl was friendly, kind and loving.

[..]

Dec. 26​

On Dec. 26, Ashlee Buzzard entered a not guilty plea to the charge of murder with special allegations.

The special allegations charge claims that Ashlee Buzzard personally and intentionally discharged a firearm causing death and committed the murder by means of lying in wait.
___________________

More details at the MSM link-- video recaps by ABC reporters, and the paternal grandmother, Lily Denes. (Melodee's father is deceased).

 

[Eli9]

Court was packed

Gag order remains for Santa Barbara Sheriff

preliminary hearing has been set for January 21st

Buzzard’s Preliminary Hearing Set, Sheriff’s Gag Order Maintained

LOMPOC, Calif. (KEYT) - The Lompoc Division of Santa Barbara Superior Court was packed to standing room only Wednesday morning. Many of the seats were

keyt.com

 

[Gemmie]

Court was packed

Buzzard’s Preliminary Hearing Set, Sheriff’s Gag Order Maintained

LOMPOC, Calif. (KEYT) - The Lompoc Division of Santa Barbara Superior Court was packed to standing room only Wednesday morning. Many of the seats were

keyt.com

SBMFF

Appartently to SRO (Standing room only) per your article.

 

[tlcya]

Santa Barbara County District Attorney John Savrnoch will not pursue the death penalty in the case, according to a release from his office. However, prosecutors will seek life in prison without the possibility of parole if she is convicted.
Ashlee Buzzard pleads not guilty to murder charge in daughter Melodee's death

 

[Eli9]

SBMFF

Appartently to SRO (Standing room only) per your article.

It mentions that many of her neighbors were in attendance, lol.

ETA
She is responsible for putting herself in this fishbowl. MOO

 

[Fromeaster]

Waste of money. Send her to Lori Walow and throw away the key.

 

[Knox]

So what do we think about the Hobbs Motion which will be filed by the defense?

What part of the investigation are they protecting? Sealed warrants, informants? Wonder if we were on track when we discussed the possibility she was transporting things for profit.

 

[TMich6811]

So what do we think about the Hobbs Motion which will be filed by the defense?

What part of the investigation are they protecting? Sealed warrants, informants? Wonder if we were on track when we discussed the possibility she was transporting things for profit.

This is my opinion

 

[tlcya]

According to the Santa Barbara Independent, Melodee’s paternal grandmother, Lilly Denes, spoke with reporters January 7, following Ashlee Buzzard’s court appearance at the Lompoc County Court.

Ashlee Buzzard is accusing of murdering Melodee before leaving her body in Utah. Buzzard has pleaded not guilty.

When asked about her opinion on a possible insanity plea, Denes said, “I don’t think that’s right because she planned everything.”
[snip]
Buzzard’s next court hearing is scheduled for January 21.
‘I don’t think that’s right’: Melodee Buzzard’s Grandmother Slams Possible Insanity Defense

NOTE for clarity, Buzzard has not plead insanity, the grandmother is opining on a what if scenario here.

 

[lonetraveler]

I mean I know for me that dang near every time I drive my kids out into the desert to shoot them I seem to get shell casings stuck in my wig.



Ehh, if they didn't include the premeditation / lying in wait, they'd have no choice but to hand the case over to be tried in Utah.
I'm not sure about anyone else but I feel like maybe everyone wants a piece of this wench right now.

--

Personally, I wish she was being charged and tried in Florida. Florida knows how to handle murderers of children.

 

[Serononin]

All the investigation of the crime was conducted from Santa Barbara: all the search warrants, interrogations, witness interviews, the first arrest and observing her in jail, the likely cellphone/computer searches and other monitoring, etc, etc.

Those detectives and the prosecutor they worked with have been with the case from the first day they interviewed A, and she refused to co-operate. They know the case inside and out.

Less than two days after finding her body, Wayne County investigators contacted Santa Barbara police, when they realized it might be M. They had no info themselves, about how she came to be there.

IMO, the FBI, working with Santa Barbara detectives, immediately took over the case from Wayne County.

It makes no sense for the Wayne County prosecutor to file charges: they were not involved in any way except finding the remains and alerting Santa Barbara. They would have almost nothing to contribute to a trial. All the evidence in court will come from Santa Barara, and it was the SB Prosecutor who was key to deciding what charges to lay (premedited murder), and how to bring the evidence to trial.

It makes perfect sense when you put it like that, thanks for the explanation!

 

[Serononin]

I’m curious a to what evidence will come out that supports lying in wait vs an in the moment decision

Eta - I know about the plates and parking etc but that still doesn’t necessarily say she was waiting to kill her child to me and had it planned.

I do think she did. I’m just curious as to what they have to further support it

I wonder if they've found evidence of planning on Ashlee's devices?

 

[Eli9]

^^
Wonder how long she had the gun and if she got rid of it on her way back.

 

[minazoe]

Personally, I wish she was being charged and tried in Florida. Florida knows how to handle murderers of children.

DBM

 

[Knox]

A motion filed by the defense on Jan. 7 and obtained by KSBY Community Reporter Crystal Bermudez requests the search warrants served at Buzzard’s Vandenberg Village home on Oct. 15, 2025 be unsealed in an effort to allow the 40-year-old a right to a fair hearing.

The motion states that during the search, authorities seized two cameras with SD cards, an Apple iPad, desktop computer, micro camera with two USB sticks, a Galaxy A7 tablet, another SD card and an AT&T SIM card packaged together. A cell phone on Buzzard at the time was also seized, the documents state, adding it’s believed additional warrants were obtained to search the electronics.

The search was the first of many executed at the home during the investigation into 9-year-old Melodee’s disappearance.

Multiple electronics seized during initial search of Ashlee Buzzard's home, court documents reveal

A recently-filed document reveals several electronics were seized during an initial search of Ashlee Buzzard’s home a day after her daughter, Melodee, was reported missing.

www.ksby.com

 

[Spectrix]

I am a little confused about how unsealing the search warrants could possibly help Ashlee's right to a fair trial, but okay.

 

[Knox]

I am a little confused about how unsealing the search warrants could possibly help Ashlee's right to a fair trial, but okay.

Post #1989 above regarding the Hobbs Motion.

LE sealed many search warrants. I’m not an attorney so may be wrong on this. But my take is her attorney wants all the warrants unsealed so he can see not only what they obtained, but also the search warrant returns.

I think LE did this to protect the information from potential FOIA requests. But the information would have been given to him anyway at some point, can’t withhold information - so more of a procedural thing.

She’s back in court on Tuesday next week for a hearing on this motion. So we’ll know more shortly.

 

[Ruminations]

Post #1989 above regarding the Hobbs Motion.

LE sealed many search warrants. I’m not an attorney so may be wrong on this. But my take is her attorney wants all the warrants unsealed so he can see not only what they obtained, but also the search warrant returns.

I think LE did this to protect the information from potential FOIA requests. But the information would have been given to him anyway at some point, can’t withhold information - so more of a procedural thing.

She’s back in court on Tuesday next week for a hearing on this motion. So we’ll know more shortly.

Yes, all this and any information the defense can obtain about probable cause. This is a weird case; there remains the possibility that Melodee was killed for a reason related to another crime. Although it seems unlikely that any other crime is worse than murder, the defense may want to know what LE was thinking when searching.

MOO