Conflicts

California Mother Arrested After Missing Daughter's Body Found in Utah

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Dec 24, 2025

THE BARE STORY

The mother of a missing 9-year-old California girl has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the child’s body was found in Utah. Authorities announced Tuesday that Ashlee Buzzard, 40, was taken into custody in Lompoc, California. The remains of her daughter, Melodee Buzzard, were discovered on December 6 in a rural area of Wayne County, Utah, and were positively identified through DNA analysis on December 22.

The investigation began on October 14 after Melodee’s school district reported her extended absence. According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office, Ashlee and Melodee Buzzard left their home in a rented car on October 7 for a multi-state road trip. Melodee was last seen alive in surveillance footage on October 9 near the Colorado-Utah border. Ashlee Buzzard returned to California on October 10 without her daughter.

Santa Barbara County Sheriff-Coroner Bill Brown stated that Melodee’s body had gunshot wounds to the head. He also said that Ashlee Buzzard had not been cooperating with the missing person investigation. Authorities alleged that during the October trip, Ashlee Buzzard wore wigs and changed license plates on her vehicle. Investigators believe Melodee was killed shortly after she was last seen.

According to the sheriff’s office, an expended cartridge case found at the Buzzard home was linked by a federal agency to casings recovered from the Utah site where the body was discovered. A live round of similar ammunition was also reportedly located in the rental car. Ashlee Buzzard was booked for first-degree murder and is being held without bail. The FBI is assisting the sheriff's office in the ongoing investigation.

Same Facts. Different Perspectives.

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• The investigation was prompted by a report from the school. The case began on October 14 after 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard’s school district reported her prolonged absence. This led the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office to launch a missing person investigation.

• The victim was last seen alive during a multi-state road trip. Melodee Buzzard left California with her mother on October 7 in a rented car. The last confirmed sighting of her alive was from surveillance footage on October 9 near the Colorado-Utah border, and investigators believe she was killed shortly after.

• The victim’s remains were discovered and identified weeks later. Melodee’s body was found on December 6 in a rural area of Wayne County, Utah, with what authorities described as gunshot wounds to the head. Her identity was formally confirmed through DNA analysis on December 22, after which her mother was arrested on suspicion of murder.

How it may affect me

As a U.S. reader:

• As a specific criminal case with a suspect in custody, the article indicates no direct or significant impact on the general public's safety or daily life.

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