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California authorities released new surveillance images Friday of a missing 9-year-old child who the FBI said may have been with her mother on a road trip “as far as the state of Nebraska” before vanishing.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said its investigation into the disappearance of Melodee Buzzard began on Oct. 14, after a school administrator reported her extended absence. Deputies then responded to her home in Lompoc and encountered her 35-year-old mother, Ashlee Buzzard, although “Melodee was not at the home, and no verifiable explanation for her whereabouts was provided.”
“As part of this update, detectives are sharing surveillance images of Melodee captured at a local car rental business on October 7. In the photo, Melodee is wearing a hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled up and what appears to be a wig that is darker and straighter than her natural hair,” the sheriff’s office said in Friday’s update. “Investigators believe the wig may have been used to alter her appearance. Detectives also note that Ashlee is known to wear wigs.”
“Through their ongoing investigation, detectives have narrowed the critical timeline to between October 7 and October 10, 2025. Investigators have confirmed that Ashlee was seen returning to her Lompoc residence on October 10, driving the same rental vehicle she departed with on October 7 — but Melodee was not in the car,” the sheriff’s office continued.
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Melodee Buzzard is shown here in a photo that the FBI says was taken in 2023. (FBI)
“Investigators understand that this three-day road trip went from Lompoc to the Nebraska area, with the return trip including the state of Kansas. Detectives are now focused on determining where Melodee was during those three days and where she may be now,” it also said.
Melodee Buzzard is described by police as being around 4 feet, 6 inches tall and weighing approximately 60 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.
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The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said Melodee Buzzard was wearing a hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled up and “what appears to be a wig that is darker and straighter than her natural hair.” (Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office)
“Our detectives are following every lead in this case. We continue to seek information from the public that could help us find Melodee,” Santa Barbara Sheriff Bill Brown said in a statement. “We remain determined to bring her home safely.”
The FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office is assisting in the search.
“The investigation indicates that Melodee was with her mother as recently as October 7, 2025. It has also been determined that Ashlee may have driven with Melodee in a White Chevrolet Malibu (Lic #9MNG101) to locations outside of Santa Barbara County, California, to include as far as the state of Nebraska,” the agency said. “The vehicle was determined to be a rental car and is no longer in Ashlee’s possession.”
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office released a new image of Melodee Buzzard “captured at a local car rental business” on Oct. 7, 2025. (Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office )
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The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said Melodee remains an “at risk-missing person,” while her mother has been “uncooperative with investigators.”