CA CA - Melodee Buzzard, 9, Vandenberg Village, 14 Oct 2025

[Lebowski]

(snip) ...
This maternal grandmother did mention that there were family members of Ashlee's mother and dad who lived on that route she took... specifically Utah and west of Utah (pretty sure that is what the grandmother meant)

... (snip)

this is starting to "click".

last known sighting of melodee was near CO-UT border, while they were headed back west. and it seems unlikely the moment ashlee left her somewhere would happen to be right after that last sighting. we have a range of possible locations between there and wherever ashlee was then sighted without her. and i'm guessing that range runs along the stretch of I-15 from central utah down toward las vegas, overlapping or including the area where grandma says there are relatives.

a line of evidence and line of logic are converging

 

[Occam's Zebra]

I'm still shocked that AB is not in custody.

 

[Emi]

I'm still shocked that AB is not in custody.

same here
hoping more and good updates coming soon

 

[Gigglingtoes]

Is Ashlee’s dad a good guy or bad guy? Are their “old friends” good people or bad people?

 

[Stunned]

Whose old friends? Ashlees parents?

 

[Emi]

3 weeks after Melodee Buzzard reported missing, grandmother pleads for her return

Tuesday marks three weeks since Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s detectives began investigating the disappearance of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard of Vandenberg Village.

www.ksby.com

 

[angelainwi]

There can be many reasons for that (including plain old stress), but lack of appetite and sudden weight loss is actually also known symptom for psychosis. Oftentimes, the lack of apetite and sleep problems actually start slightly before the paranoia really sets in and delusions start etc.
In chronic patients, this weight loss is often amplified by the fact, that most antipsychotic medication makes people to gain weight in the first place, so when they stop their meds and therefore become symptomatic, there are two different triggers for the weight loss: pulling the medications effect that made them gain weight and the effects of the illness to lose weight.

Honestly, this might not be the case at all here, but as I read what Lusitana wrote, it just made me even more uneasy. But as I said, there are also tons of other reasons people can lose weight, from stress and financial diffiulties all the way to simply changing their eating habits or getting the jab.

Meth and/or Adderall can make one lose lots of weight

 

[Megnut]

I am holding out hope that she left Melodee with someone who believes that they are now protecting Melodee from whatever foes Ashlee might believe are plaguing her.

I'm holding out that hope because I don't like the alternatives.

Let her be safe somewhere while Ashlee spirals.

JMO

 

[tlcya]

Meth and/or Adderall can make one lose lots of weight

yes, weight loss could be something or nothing. As far as I know, we have no idea how old the photo of Ashlee is that first appeared in the news.

I suspect this photo is pretty darn old, as in several years old, so we have no evidence her apparent weight loss happened suddenly or if it happened over time, due to stress of being a single mother, working out, or any other normal healthy means someone loses weight.

But the appearance change from that photo to now is marked and may well be a result of any one of the things you and several others have mentioned in this thread. We just don't really know enough to know IYKWIM

 

[Gigglingtoes]

Whose old friends? Ashlees parents?

Yep

 

[SaranWrapPetunia]

With mental health issues being reported and the story not making any sense whatsoever, I am beginning to think that this might be exactly the cause.

The problem is, this might be very risky for Melodee. Ranging from "stay in this forest and the Clan will feed you" all the way to "the demons caught her and she had to go" with everything else in between. She is only 9 and has been realtively isolated. She will believe her mum on most things and if her mum is unwell, that might put her in extreme danger.

It is also possible that there is something else going on. But honestly, mabe it is not making sense because it is not making sense. The simplest explanation, IMO.

I'm thinking along the same lines too. This past summer in Canada, there was a case of a mother abandoning her 3 year-old on the side of the highway but couldn't remember where she lost her. Thankfully, the child was spotted by a thermal drone 3 days later. The mother was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. At the time of her episode, she believed her daughter was possessed and thought she was being followed. I can see where a similar scenario could be at play here, imo.

 

[Gigglingtoes]

I'm thinking along the same lines too. This past summer in Canada, there was a case of a mother abandoning her 3 year-old on the side of the highway but couldn't remember where she lost her. Thankfully, the child was spotted by a thermal drone 3 days later. The mother was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. At the time of her episode, she believed her daughter was possessed and thought she was being followed. I can see where a similar scenario could be at play here, imo.

Wouldn’t police have talked to her and decided that she was mentally unwell by now and had her evaluated? Idk

 

[TMich6811]

I do not feel this is going to be primarily mental health related

 

[Stunned]

I do not feel this is going to be primarily mental health related

I think it might be financial gain.

 

[KooshBall]

Unfortunately, I find it hard to believe that anyone would continue to hide the child, knowing that law enforcement is involved and looking for her. I'm also confused about the mother still not being arrested. Now I am curious, are parents allowed to hide their own child if they want to?

 

[Stunned]

Unfortunately, I find it hard to believe that anyone would continue to hide the child, knowing that law enforcement is involved and looking for her. I'm also confused about the mother still not being arrested. Now I am curious, are parents allowed to hide their own child if they want to?

That's a good question. I know they do in custody cases and get in trouble!

 

[Knox]

(bbm)

ok, i had thought LE had visited the house before the road trip and had possibly triggered it. i guess that's wrong? but, even so, it seems like the school's interactions with ashlee before the LE call still could have been a trigger. do we know what the school said to her, and when they said it?

if they were saying stuff like "we need to talk to the police/CPS", or even just using strong, scoldy language, she could have anticipated LE coming to look for melodee, even if LE hadn't gotten involved yet. and that anticipation would have been correct. ... if you're with me on all that, i'd say the subterfuge still makes sense, even if she took it to a foil-hat extreme.

I stated that was a trigger from the onset, read back. The truancy guidelines are very clear, it's an escalating process which culminates in a home visit from the school truancy officer. She also would have received calls, emails and letters in the lead-up.

You said, "it's not a delusion when they are literally out to get you". "They" aren't out to get Ashlee.

The school, LE & CPS are trying to determine if a child who has already been removed from Ashlee's care twice - and is not attending school, is safe.

I don't care about Ashlee's wellbeing, she can seek help for herself or be court ordered to do so. She's well enough to rent cars, order Ubers, rent storage units, doordash food and other items to be delivered to her home, dress nicely, do her hair. What she's NOT able to do, is parent Melodee in a healthy way. If she won't/can't help herself - she doesn't need to ever get custody of Melodee back IMO.

I did hear an interesting tidbit tonight on Ashley Banfield, a guest states at 12:40 - "the truancy laws in California changed October 1, 2025". It's no longer a criminal violation.

 

[Knox]

That's a good question. I know they do in custody cases and get in trouble!

But that's in joint custody cases, here Ashley is a single custodial parent. If correct that the Truancy Laws in California changed on 10/1. I sort of understand what LE/CPS is facing in terms of getting a warrant. IMO, there is carp ton of activity going on behind the scenes to gather enough evidence to get a Judge to sign off on.

Could Melodee be somewhere safe - Yup. But, what if she's not? I really don't want to imagine that scenerio.

 

[Knox]

Miranda said she believes her daughter and granddaughter may have crossed paths with people she and Ashlee Buzzard’s father once knew in those states.

“When you start getting past Utah, coming back, that’s when you’re running into his friends,” she said.

Grandmother of missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard ‘numb and in shock’ over disappearance

The grandmother of missing 9-year-old girl Melodee Buzzard recently spoke with local media about her granddaughter’s disappearance.

www.wsaz.com

I don't know about this, Melodee Father - Rubiell Meza died in 2016. Nine years later, a woman who doesn't seem to be able to sustain relationships with literally anyone. Is going to contact an old aquaintance? I think Lori's Mom means well, but her contributions to date haven't been helpful at all (not judging, simply an observation).

 

[OddOneOut]

Miranda said she believes her daughter and granddaughter may have crossed paths with people she and Ashlee Buzzard’s father once knew in those states.

“When you start getting past Utah, coming back, that’s when you’re running into his friends,” she said.

Grandmother of missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard ‘numb and in shock’ over disappearance

The grandmother of missing 9-year-old girl Melodee Buzzard recently spoke with local media about her granddaughter’s disappearance.

www.wsaz.com

I don't know about this, Melodee Father - Rubiell Meza died in 2016. Nine years later, a woman who doesn't seem to be able to sustain relationships with literally anyone. Is going to contact an old aquaintance? I think Lori's Mom means well, but her contributions to date haven't been helpful at all (not judging, simply an observation).

I think you have misunderstood. She is not referring to Melodee's father. She is referring to the friends of Ashlee's father. I hope she knows who these are and has given the information to LE.