Mother Accused Of Swapping Plates In Search For Missing Nine-Year-Old Melodee Buzzard

Authorities investigating the disappearance of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard have uncovered new and disturbing details suggesting her mother went to great lengths to avoid detection during a multi-state road trip that ended with the child vanishing without a trace.

According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, Melodee and her mother, 35-year-old Ashlee Buzzard, left their home in Lompoc, California, on October 7 for what was described as a three-day trip that took them as far as Nebraska. Surveillance footage later showed the pair at a rental car agency that same day, with Melodee appearing to be wearing a wig.

The last confirmed sighting of the little girl was on October 9, near the Colorado-Utah border. In a Monday update, investigators revealed that Buzzard allegedly removed the California license plate, 9MNG101, from the white 2024 Chevrolet Malibu she had rented and replaced it with a New York plate, HCG9677, in what they believe was an attempt “to avoid detection.”

Officials say it remains unclear exactly when or where the plate was swapped, or if any other plates were used during the journey. Detectives shared a map of Buzzard’s possible route back to California, showing stops in Green River, Utah; Panguitch, Utah; northwest Arizona; Primm, Nevada; and Rancho Cucamonga, California. Authorities are asking residents and businesses along that route to review security footage from October 9 and 10 for any sign of the missing girl.

Buzzard returned home alone on October 10 and dropped off the rental car with the original California plates reinstalled. Melodee was nowhere to be found. Her disappearance came to light four days later, on October 14, when a Lompoc Unified School District employee reported her prolonged absence. Deputies visiting the family home spoke with Buzzard, but “no verifiable explanation for Melodee’s whereabouts was provided,” officials said.

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The mother has reportedly refused to cooperate with investigators. Last week, detectives escorted Buzzard away from the home so they could conduct a full search. The FBI has since joined local authorities in examining a storage locker and the rental vehicle believed to have been used during the road trip. Officials have not disclosed whether any evidence was recovered.

Melodee’s relatives on her father’s side say they have not seen her in several years. “She hasn’t let us see her for a few years,” her aunt, Bridgett Truitt, told KEYT. “But we never stopped thinking about her or loving her or praying for her.” Melodee is described as 4 feet 6 inches tall, weighing about 60 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.

She remains listed as a missing person and is considered at-risk due to her age and the length of her disappearance. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Detectives Line at (805) 681-4150, the anonymous tips line at (805) 681-4171, or submit information online at www.sbsheriff.org/home/anonymous-tip/.