Families often recycle names.
Maybe they have family in Nebraska.
If she were older, I might wonder if she got sent away (hidden) due to pregnancy.
If she's alive, handed off to family, why wouldn't that information be turned over to LE?
I have questions.
JMO
I hope Melodee was taken by her mother to go live with relatives in Nebraska and then her mother returned to California. And for some reason, Melodee's mother won't tell LE this. But why not? I hope LE can get in contact with whoever might be in Nebraska that might have information about all of this and get some useful information for finding Melodee.