The timeline of missing California girl Melody Buzzard now places her with her mother this month, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, the sheriff’s office said that Lompoc Unified School District employees last saw Melodee in August, when her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, registered her in an independent study program.
Melodee, who is homeschooled, never picked up any assignments.
Now, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, with the FBI’s assistance, uncovered evidence indicating that Melodee was seen with her mother, Ashley Buzzard, on October 7.
The sheriff’s office said in a statement that the pair may have traveled to Nebraska, with Buzzard driving a rental car: a white Chevrolet Malibu with the license plate 9MNG101.
“Detectives have gathered evidence indicating that Melodee was with her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, as recently as October 7, 2025,” the Sheriff’s Office said Monday morning.
“Detectives have also determined that Ashlee may have driven with Melodee in a White Chevrolet Malibu to locations outside of Santa Barbara County to include as far as the state of Nebraska.”
When officers arrived at the family home last week, in the 500 block of Mars Avenue, they spoke with Ashlee Buzzard but did not see Melodee.
They returned to the home for follow-ups, but could not find her, and her mother didn’t offer valid explanations. Police subsequently carried out a search warrant at the home.
Melodee’s father, Rubiell Meza, died in a motorcycle crash when she was an infant. Ashley Buzzard had been living in Santa Maria with Meza and his mother at the time, but moved away with Melodee after his death.
“She just kept [Melodee] away from us and then she up and moved,” Melodee’s aunt, Vicky Shade, told The Los Angeles Times. “She wouldn’t let us see her.”
Family members on the father’s side have reportedly expressed concerns about Ashlee Buzzard’s mental health, adding they have not seen Melodee in four years.
“Ashlee is mentally unstable and my mom tried to get custody or at least grandparent rights to visit Melodee because she [Ashlee] wasn’t letting our side of the family see her,” Shade said.
The Meza family distributed missing persons flyers over the weekend in Lompoc, Guadalupe and the Five Cities area of San Luis Obispo County, according to the Times.
“It’s been really hard not knowing anything about her whereabouts,” Shade added.
As the search continues, law enforcement is asking community members to refrain from doing their own investigations.
“While well-intentioned, these efforts could unintentionally interfere with investigative work already in progress,” the department said.
Anyone with information regarding Buzzard’s whereabouts is asked to call Santa Barbara County investigators at 805-681-4150. Anonymous calls can be made to the tip line at 805-681-4171. Contact the FBI at 800-225-5324.
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[Feature Photo: Santa Barbara County police
