Ashlee Buzzard charged with the murder of her nine-year-old daughter
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) – On Wednesday, a felony charge of first-degree murder was filed against Ashlee Buzzard in connection with the death of her nine-year-old daughter Melodee.
According to the complaint, Buzzard also faces multiple special allegations including that she personally used a 9mm pistol in the murder and that the nine-year-old was particularly vulnerable.
Yesterday morning, Melodee's paternal grandmother, Lilly Denes, shared with Your News Channel that the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office informed her that her granddaughter's body had been recovered and that Ashlee has been taken into custody in connection.
Investigators believe that Melodee was murdered on Oct. 9, 2025, and additional evidence connecting her mother to the crime was collected during law enforcement searches later the same month shared the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office during a press conference Tuesday.
The image below, courtesy of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office, shows the final resting place of the nine-year-old in a remote part of Wayne County, Utah.
At the time, the last verified contact with Melodee was almost a year before and even the most recent photograph used by Your News Channel author was about two years old.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office noted in October of this year that Melodee's mother Ashlee was, "uncooperative with investigators" and provided "no clear explanation ... for her [Melodee's] whereabouts".
In fact, detectives did not receive any verified information about the nine-year-old's whereabouts outside of the local school district when the search started.
As the search expanded, investigators reviewed surveillance footage and interviewed eyewitnesses to piece together that the mother and daughter had rented a Chevy Malibu in Lompoc and traveled through Nevada and Utah in October before Ashlee returned to the Central Coast alone.
During the multi-day trip, both were seen wearing wigs and at some point, the license plate on the rental car was swapped with out-of-state plates.
On Dec. 6, Utah authorities were called to a reported body outside of Cainville, Utah with gunshot wounds to the head which DNA testing eventually matched to the missing nine-year-old.
"The loss of Melodee Buzzard is heartbreaking," Sheriff Brown stated Tuesday. "We hoped against hope that she would be found alive. This outcome is devastating."
In November, Ashlee Buzzard was arrested for false imprisonment, but the case was dismissed one day after her first court appearance.
"I would like to thank the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office for their tireless efforts and unwavering commitment in their search for Melodee, as well as the contributions all of the partner agencies which were integral in reaching this point, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the California Department of Justice; Santa Barbara County Child Welfare Services; Lompoc Unified School District; Santa Barbara County Search and Rescue; and numerous law enforcement agencies across Utah, Colorado, and Nebraska," said District Attorney Savrnoch Wednesday. "In particular, I would like to recognize the Wayne County Utah Sheriff’s Department, Wayne County Attorney Michael Winn, and the medical examiner in Wayne County for their efforts in this case."
Buzzard is currently scheduled to appear in Santa Maria Superior Court for an arraignment on Dec. 26, 2025, and she remains in custody at the Northern County Branch Jail without bail added the Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office.
"This investigation does not end here," stated Sheriff Brown during Tuesday's press conference. "We remain committed to working closely with prosecutors to ensure justice is pursued with integrity, care, and compassion. Melodee deserved a far better life, and she will never be forgotten."
