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

[tlcya]

Off-grid culty like Manson Family culty, or off-grid culty like religious extremist culty?

The latter. IF AB does suffer some mental health issues, an extremist or fringe culty type religious group might appeal to someone struggling with such issues. JMO.

 

[Eli9]

the mathematician, kurt godel, always went around covered up like that. even in the middle of summer. he was really smart. and a category 5 lunatic.

always thought someone was trying to poison him. the only people who could convince him to eat were his wife and (not making this up) albert einstein. whenever the latter of those two died, i think he starved within a week or so.

I don't even know why I brought it up but it was just something that kept standing out to me. I love that bit of backstory you added although so strange.

 

[ivegotcha]

Buzzard's attorney argued that his client is not a flight risk and that the complaint was non-violent.

The prosecutor, however, disagreed, stating that a box cutter was involved in the crime and that authorities have discovered she wore wigs and switched license plates on the road trip she took with her daughter.

Judge orders mother of missing Vandenberg Village girl released from custody

Ashlee Buzzard, the mother of missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, appeared in court Wednesday on a charge unrelated to her daughter's disappearance.

www.ksby.com

So the court allows the ankle moniter , I am curious as to where Ashley Buzzard will be staying at , Was she not getting boxes to move, and was there something about being possibly being evicted. ...

 

[Knox]

The mother of missing California 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard was released from custody and given a GPS monitor Wednesday following an arrest last week on unrelated charges.


Ashlee Buzzard, 40, pleaded not guilty in a Santa Barbara County courtroom Wednesday to a charge of false imprisonment. Buzzard was arrested in connection with an incident in which she allegedly prevented a man from leaving an area against his will.

https://ktla.com/news/california/mother-of-missing-california-girl-melodee-buzzard-released-from-custody-given-gps-monitor/

What happened to the 1:30 hearing?

Is that her real hair? Boy does she look different!

 

[Fromeaster]

So the court allows the ankle moniter , I am curious as to where Ashley Buzzard will be staying at , Was she not getting boxes to move, and was there something about being possibly being evicted. ...

I think she's back in the same house, she probably can't leave town, she'll sit and pick up her parcels while the child is gone.

 

[Knox]

So the court allows the ankle moniter , I am curious as to where Ashley Buzzard will be staying at , Was she not getting boxes to move, and was there something about being possibly being evicted. ...

Well, they accomplished something I guess. At least they will know where she’s at in case they need to rearrest her!

 

[Insightful1]

Ashlee looks significantly different in every photo and it's not just the wigs. If you told me that was the same person as this I would never believe it. Even the wig photo from the car dealership looks like a third completely different person!

She does! I asked her family member if that was Ashlee. I was shocked

 

[Emi]

 

[Bigditch]

Not sure I understand your question? Family hasn’t seen Melody since 2021. I would think they did supply pictures, because many that we see today, were on their personal pages before this story gained any traction. Can’t say that for certain however.

Yes agree. The photos came from family members and not necessarily from Ashlee.

 

[truecrimel]

Every time we see Ashlee my mind instantly thinks she’s a different person.

I find it incredibly odd that she was allowed to be released with an ankle monitor. I guess maybe the court feels it’s another avenue to get her to lead them to Melodee? Idk. Shocking decision though, I thought for sure they’d bring more charges against her.

Is there any video of the hearing or just the photo?

 

[Eli9]

She does! I asked her family member if that was Ashlee. I was shocked

So, it was reported that her prior husbands family were in the court room today and were shocked at her appearance. Is this the side of her family you are in communication with? TIA

 

[sunspun]

This thread is wild.....

Utterly baffling .....

IMO, MOO, my instinct say she agreed to something risky , borderline illegal at the least, involving her child as a one off to recoup the debt she was in and pay it all off - she may have naively believed whoever told her her daughter would be returned safely to her and would come to no harm and would be treated well - I can't exactly think what this might be though

And then something went wrong and they didnt give her , her daughter back. I think LE are trying to cast a net and catch the big fish/fishes involved here

AM's weight loss in the past 4 years and complete transformation no longer looking like the same person - if through even natural means used excessively like too much exercise for eg could have resulted in the bipolar aggravating to excesssive risk taking with her child which she never ventured into before.

All Moo ......uttterly crazy case this .....I pray we see M back safely and soon

I can see with an unbalanced mindset the end would justify the means....doing something risky for the good cause of being able to keep custody of her daughter which if she were thrown in jail for unpaid debts , she would lose her daughter and her mind might have convinced her that was the greater danger ....dunno

All interesting, except just to note... we don't have debtor's prisons here in the US. You can't be "thrown in jail for unpaid debts".

Unless you want to count as an exception child support, which you can be jailed for not paying, but that's not relevant here.

 

[sunspun]

So the court allows the ankle moniter , I am curious as to where Ashley Buzzard will be staying at , Was she not getting boxes to move, and was there something about being possibly being evicted. ...

I don't know if it's the same way nationally as it is here, but ime, if you live in government/section 8 housing, you can and I would say will be evicted if you have any run-in with the law.

And I know it doesn't even require you be convicted of a crime for them to have the right to evict you! You can be merely charged with a crime, and say, then they dismiss your charges, release you from custody, and you go home, only to find an Eviction Notice on your door!

This exact thing has literally happened to people I used to know. Back in my outlaw days, hah. But I'm serious, it's really unfair and discriminatory to poor people, imo, the latitude that landlords of section 8 housing are granted by law in what is required for eviction. It doesn't take much, less than what you would think.

Less than what is right, imo.

And since that's a federal program (isn't it?), then the rules are probably the same no matter what state you're in.

 

[Gigglingtoes]

I don't know if it's the same way nationally as it is here, but ime, if you live in government/section 8 housing, you can and I would say will be evicted if you have any run-in with the law.

And I know it doesn't even require you be convicted of a crime for them to have the right to evict you! You can be merely charged with a crime, and say, then they dismiss your charges, release you from custody, and you go home, only to find an Eviction Notice on your door!

This exact thing has literally happened to people I used to know. Back in my outlaw days, hah. But I'm serious, it's really unfair and discriminatory to poor people, imo, the latitude that landlords of section 8 housing are granted by law in what is required for eviction. It doesn't take much, less than what you would think.

Less than what is right, imo.

And since that's a federal program (isn't it?), then the rules are probably the same no matter what state you're in.

Idk but good luck on getting them to actually leave lol

 

[sunspun]

Well, they accomplished something I guess. At least they will know where she’s at in case they need to rearrest her!

Or in case she goes to meet someone, or goes to get Ashlee, or goes to check on the spot where she left her or her remains , or goes to her storage unit, or tries to rent a car... etc etc etc

Which makes me think they would have been better off, had more opportunities to gather important info about Melodee's whereabouts, if they had not put the ankle monitor on her! Maybe she would have done any of those things I mentioned with no ankle monitor on, but why would she now, with an ankle monitor? She might not do anything useful to LE now, because she knows they'll know all about it.

So why did they bring her in anyway? I thought they were charging her with this unrelated lesser crime so that they could get her in custody to interrogate her and hopefully find out where M is. Same as has happened in many cases we read about here on WS. That happens a lot. Just get the POI in custody for something, anything, often for past minor warrants, just get them in the clutches of LE... then while they got 'em, often we hear that charges have now been laid or upgraded to murder.

It's a known proven tactic of LE.

But if that were happening here, I don't see that they used their opportunity while they had her in custody to their advantage! Did they even question her at all about Melodee? Maybe this charge will help them to get warrants for things related to that, or would that be legal? I don't know what they achieved by arresting her. Maybe it's all still coming down the line. She now has future court appearances and restrictions like the monitor... maybe it all makes sense later.

But I personally really worry about her self-harming, particularly if she has already done harm to M. Seems like that should be something the court should be concerned about.

 

[sunspun]

Idk but good luck on getting them to actually leave lol

It's hard to stay when cops are enlisted to show the reluctant-to-leave ones out the door. With or without your stuff, if it comes to that.

I know that they don't care if you have no way at that moment of moving your stuff, or if you try to use that as an excuse. They literally make you sit outside with all your stuff until you find someone to help you move.

Or you leave whatever you can't carry behind.

 

[Gigglingtoes]

It's hard to stay when cops are enlisted to show the reluctant-to-leave ones out the door. With or without your stuff, if it comes to that.

I know that they don't care if you have no way at that moment of moving your stuff, or if you try to use that as an excuse. They literally make you sit outside with all your stuff until you find someone to help you move.

Or you leave whatever you can't carry behind.

Takes a lot of effort here in Ca

 

[ivegotcha]

Well, they accomplished something I guess. At least they will know where she’s at in case they need to rearrest her!

Yes they will, I bet the door bell camera's are lock on her location. watching her every move. I wonder if the back is covered as well.

 

[SleuthRaven]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1978635170753151133

https://twitter.com/x/status/1978635170753151133

After looking at a map, the logical, most direct highway path from Lompoc, California (where the trip started) to a state like Nebraska and back, while passing through Kansas on the return, could be Westbound to Eastbound Route (To Nebraska): I-15 North (through Nevada and Utah), I-70 East (connecting at Cove Fort, Utah, and continuing through Colorado and Kansas). A connection would then be made from I-70 (likely in Kansas or Eastern Colorado) to reach a specific location in Nebraska. On the return to California: The reverse path would take them through Kansas (as confirmed by investigators), I-70 West through Colorado, I-70 West connecting to I-15 South (in Utah). A lot of ground to travel in such a short time period.

 

[Knox]

After looking at a map, the logical, most direct highway path from Lompoc, California (where the trip started) to a state like Nebraska and back, while passing through Kansas on the return, could be Westbound to Eastbound Route (To Nebraska): I-15 North (through Nevada and Utah), I-70 East (connecting at Cove Fort, Utah, and continuing through Colorado and Kansas). A connection would then be made from I-70 (likely in Kansas or Eastern Colorado) to reach a specific location in Nebraska. On the return to California: The reverse path would take them through Kansas (as confirmed by investigators), I-70 West through Colorado, I-70 West connecting to I-15 South (in Utah). A lot of ground to travel in such a short time period.

I doubt she slept much, but I think that's typical if you are Bipolar and in a manic phase?