A California mother faces murder charges after authorities allege she shot her nine-year-old daughter in the head during a multi-state road trip. Ashlee Buzzard was arrested on Tuesday, December 24, 2025, by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office, more than two months after her daughter, Melodee Buzzard, was first reported missing.
A 'Cold-Blooded' Crime and a Cross-Country Trail
Sheriff Bill Brown described the killing as a "cold-blooded" and "heartless" act carried out with "criminally sophisticated premeditation." The investigation reveals a tragic timeline that began in early October. According to authorities, Ashlee Buzzard left her home in Lompoc, California, with Melodee on October 7 in a rented Chevrolet Malibu.
The pair traveled through several states, including Nevada, Arizona, and Utah, reaching as far as Nebraska before returning through Kansas. A critical piece of evidence was a surveillance camera that captured Melodee alive near the Colorado-Utah border on October 9. Investigators believe she was killed shortly after that sighting.
Ashlee Buzzard returned to California alone on October 10. Authorities state she made significant efforts to avoid detection during the trip, including wearing wigs and using swapped license plates on the rental vehicle.
Evidence Mounts in a Rural Utah Discovery
The case broke open after a man and woman photographing scenery in a remote area off State Route 24 in Wayne County, Utah, discovered human remains. The location was near where Melodee was last seen alive. Bullet casings were found near the body.
Forensic analysis provided crucial links. Spent shell casings recovered from the Buzzard family home and live rounds found in Ashlee's car matched those discovered in Utah. On Monday, December 23, the FBI crime lab established a DNA link between the remains and Ashlee Buzzard's familial DNA.
"We recovered a significant amount of evidence against Ashlee," Sheriff Brown stated during a media conference. The murder weapon, however, has not yet been found.
Investigation and Aftermath
Melodee was officially reported missing on October 14 after a school administrator noted her prolonged absence. When questioned by law enforcement, Ashlee Buzzard did not provide information on her daughter's whereabouts.
Ashlee Buzzard is currently being held without bail at the Northern Branch Jail in Santa Barbara. Sheriff Brown noted she is not cooperating with investigators. Authorities believe she acted alone, but the case remains under active investigation.
The arrest closes a painful chapter in a search that spanned the American West, leaving a community grappling with the loss of a young girl and the serious allegations against her mother.
