9-year-old Melodee Buzzard is Missing

Melodee Buzzard, a young girl who lives with her mother, in Vandenberg Village which is located near northern Santa Barbara County close to Lompoc, has been missing since October 7th 2025. She is 9 years old and has brown curly hair and brown eyes, weighs about 60 pounds and is 4’6”. She was last seen at a car rental place wearing what looks like a wig and a hood pulled over her head. She was last seen with her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, who then took her across the country and later, after a long trip, returned home.

They went all the way from Lompoc to Nebraska and on the way home went through  Kansas. When Ashlee returned and got out of the car, Melodee was not with her. Police do not know when or where they were separated, but Ashlee’s refusal to answer the detectives about where Melodee is makes her even more of a key focus for this case. Ashlee did not report Melodee missing in fact no one noticed she was gone until the school reported her as a missing person case. It took the school a long time to notice she was missing because Melodee was enrolled in an independent study program which means she is a form of homeschooling. 

 Melodee’s father, Rubiell Meza, died when she was 6 months old and Ashlee’s mother Lori Miranda says it is the reason Ashlee’s mental health has spiraled so much. Lori Miranda explained that not only Ashlee’s mental health is bad, but Melodee’s is as well. Miranda explained how when she last visited the house there was rotten food in the refrigerator and the house was in “disarray,” and how Ashlee should have gotten Melodee some professional help because her mental health was failing. Melodee’s aunt, Bridgett Truitt, said, “Ashlee hasn’t let us see Melodee for a few years,” and “And all of us have tried. But we never stopped thinking about her or loving her or praying for her.”

Another aunt who hasn’t seen Melodee in over 4 years explained how Ashlee is “extremely mentally unstable.” Ashlee will not answer the police’s questions and has been no help in this case of finding her daughter. She was not put in prison or charged with any crime in this case because of her right to remain silent as well as there not being enough evidence. However, Ashlee was arrested on Nov. 7, because of false imprisonment which authorities say is unrelated to this case. Melodee Buzzard has now been missing for over a month and no one has been able to find out any other information about her.

Sources: People Magazine, KTLA5, ABC news, Los Angeles Times, CNN, KRON4