Felony Charge Dropped Against Mother of Missing 9-Year-Old After Court Plays Audio

Overview: A felony false-imprisonment charge against Ashlee Buzzard, the mother of missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, was dismissed after a court heard audio evidence that contradicted the accuser’s claims. The dismissal is unrelated to the ongoing investigation into Melodee’s disappearance.

What happened in court

Ashlee Buzzard was arrested on Nov. 7 on a felony allegation that she prevented a man identified as Tyler S. Brewer from leaving her home. During a preliminary hearing on Nov. 19, an audio recording captured by Ashlee was played in court. Prosecutors dropped the charge the following day, Nov. 20, after the recording appeared to show Ashlee opening the door and allowing Brewer to leave and contained no reference to the specific location Brewer had claimed was discussed.

Details of the allegation

Brewer described himself as a “legal document assistant” who provided assistance to Ashlee in early November and said he felt threatened on Nov. 6. The audio evidence played in court undermined those allegations, and as a result Ashlee is no longer required to wear a GPS monitor that had been tied to the charge.

Investigation into Melodee’s disappearance

The disappearance of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard remains an active investigation. Melodee was reported missing on Oct. 14. Detectives have identified a three-day critical timeline between Oct. 7 and Oct. 10 when she and her mother were on a road trip from California to Nebraska. Surveillance from Oct. 7 at a car rental location showed Melodee appearing to wear a wig. Authorities say the pair traveled across multiple states in a white Chevrolet Malibu and that Ashlee later returned to Lompoc without Melodee.

Investigators searched the family’s Lompoc home and reported finding no sign of the child. Authorities said Ashlee could not provide a verifiable explanation for Melodee’s whereabouts. Officials have not publicly named Ashlee a person of interest but described her as uncooperative with parts of the inquiry; a neighbor also recorded Ashlee removing missing-person posters from outside the property.

Description and how to help

Melodee is described as approximately 4 feet 6 inches tall, weighing about 60 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information is asked to contact investigators at (805) 681-4150, the anonymous tip line at (805) 681-4171, or the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office website.

Note: The dismissal of the false-imprisonment charge does not close the investigation into Melodee’s disappearance; investigators continue to seek information from the public.