Santa Barbara Law Enforcement Arrests Ashlee Buzzard For First Degree Murder in Daughter Melodee’s Death

Bullet and DNA Evidence Lead to Arrest of Vandenberg Village Mother in Missing Girl’s Killing

Ashlee Buzzard pictured in court in Santa Maria on November 12 for her arraignment on a false imprisonment charge that was subsequently dropped. She was arrested again this Tuesday, December 23, for the alleged murder of her 9-year-old daughter, Melodee Buzzard. | Credit: KEYT

This article was underwritten in part by the Mickey Flacks Journalism Fund for Social Justice, a proud, innovative supporter of local news. To make a contribution go to sbcan.org/journalism_fund.

At a Tuesday afternoon press conference held by Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Bill Brown shared more details on the investigation of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard’s death, which authorities confirmed today. Law enforcement said they believe Melodee’s mother, Ashlee Buzzard, murdered Melodee shortly after she was last seen in surveillance footage on the Colorado side of the Colorado–Utah border on October 9.

Investigation into Melodee’s disappearance began on October 14 after a school administrator reported she had not been attending school. Law enforcement established that Melodee’s mother, Ashlee Buzzard, rented a car in Lompoc and drove to the Nebraska area and back across several states from October 7–10.

Over the course of several press releases, law enforcement said Buzzard switched the car’s license plate and wore wigs. Melodee is also seen in surveillance footage at the rental car facility in Lompoc wearing a wig. Melodee left with her mother but did not return.

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During an October 30 search, Brown said, law enforcement had recovered an expended cartridge case at Buzzard’s home and a live round of similar ammunition in the car Buzzard rented. Brown said detectives had submitted the cartridge case to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, where it was recorded in the bureau’s database.

Last month, Buzzard was arrested and held briefly for false imprisonment of a legal document assistant, Tyler S. Brewer. Those charges were dropped when, after hearing an audio recording of their conversation from that night in court, Judge Stephen Dunkle ruled there was not sufficient evidence to continue the case. Law enforcement said at the time that the case was not directly related to Melodee’s disappearance, although Brewer alleged on social media that he had contacted Buzzard to offer assistance locating Melodee and that Buzzard told him information she seemed to regret disclosing.

Then, on December 6, Brown said, a man and woman outside of Caineville, a rural area in Wayne County, Utah, were taking photos off State Route 24 when they found a body. They reported the body to the Wayne County Police. Brown said the body was female and had been shot in the head. The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office contacted the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office two days later.

On December 17, law enforcement found a link from the cartridge cases found at the crime scene and the one recovered in the October 30 search of Buzzard’s home.

Then, on December 22, DNA evidence from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s crime lab determined that the body found was a familial match to Ashlee Buzzard, confirming it to be that of Melodee Buzzard. Police arrested Buzzard for first degree murder this Tuesday morning.

Melodee was a 9-year-old girl who lived in Vandenberg Village with her mother. Her father died in 2016 when she was less than one year old. On social media posts, members of Melodee’s paternal family said they hadn’t seen her in several years. In the past three years, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office conducted three welfare checks to Ashlee Buzzard’s current address.

At the press conference, Sheriff Brown said he wanted to take a moment to speak directly to Melodee’s family members. He said they had endured unimaginable pain, but had endured strength, patience, and hope.

This map shows the location where Melodee’s remains were found on December 6 off State Route 24 outside of Cainsville, a rural area in Wayne County, Utah. | Credit: Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office

“No family should ever have to experience this kind of loss, and our hearts are with them today and will be with them in the difficult days ahead. We stand with them, and we remain committed to securing justice for Melodee,” he said.

Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Lieutenant Chris Gotschall and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Patrick Grandy also spoke at the press conference, making note of the widespread coordination among law enforcement in the case. That included several FBI field offices and police and sheriff’s offices over several states.

Grandy said that, as this investigation is ongoing, the FBI will continue to lend support, including laboratory services and running down leads in other states.

Sheriff Brown said that as of Tuesday morning, Buzzard remains uncooperative. Lieutenant Gotschall said that at this time in the investigation, law enforcement believes Buzzard acted alone. Law enforcement has not yet established a motive and has not yet recovered the murder weapon.

Buzzard is being held without bail in Santa Barbara County’s Northern Branch Jail. Sheriff Brown said she will be tried in Santa Barbara Superior Court.

Editor’s Note: This article’s headline was updated to reflect that Santa Barbara law enforcement made the arrest, and is not prosecuting Ashlee Buzzard.