Investigators say the decomposed remains of 9‑year‑old Melodee Buzzard were found on Dec. 8 on a remote dirt road in Caineville, Utah. Ballistics tied cartridge cases at the scene to a spent round recovered from Melodee’s family home in Lompoc, California, and an FBI lab issued a familial DNA match on Dec. 22. Melodee’s mother, Ashlee Buzzard, was arrested and charged with first‑degree murder on Dec. 24 and is being held without bail; authorities say the killing appears premeditated, though a motive and the alleged weapon have not been recovered.
Backroad Discovery in Utah Leads to Arrest of Mother in 9‑Year‑Old Melodee Buzzard’s Alleged Murder
Ashlee and Melodee Buzzard are shown in a surveillance video where investigators believe they are wearing wigs. - Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office
As the December sun sank behind Utah’s sandstone ridges, a couple who pulled off a remote dirt road to take photos made a grim discovery: the decomposed remains of a young girl amid sparse shrubs and dry soil. What began as an accidental find in Caineville, Utah, would ultimately connect investigators across multiple states to an arrest in California.
How the Case Unfolded
When local deputies arrived at the scene, they quickly treated it as a homicide. Officials later determined the child had sustained gunshot wounds to the head. The remains were eventually identified as 9‑year‑old Melodee Elani Buzzard of Lompoc, California — a girl whose disappearance during a road trip with her mother had sparked a two‑month, multi‑state search involving local, state and federal authorities.
Investigators said that evidence and leads developed over weeks — including surveillance video, ballistics, and DNA analysis — converged on Melodee’s mother, 29‑year‑old Ashlee Buzzard. On Dec. 24, prosecutors charged Ashlee Buzzard with first‑degree murder; she is being held without bail.
Key Investigative Steps
Authorities say school records first raised concerns when staff requested a welfare check on Oct. 14 after Melodee had not been seen at school for months. Video from a rental car agency showed Ashlee Buzzard and Melodee wearing wigs and other disguises on Oct. 9 near the Colorado‑Utah state line. Investigators allege Ashlee changed license plates, altered her appearance and drove evasively as part of efforts to conceal their movements.
Searches of the Buzzard home, a storage unit and the rental vehicle on Oct. 30 turned up a spent cartridge casing inside the residence and a live round in the car. The casing was entered into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN).
After the Dec. 8 discovery in Utah, items recovered at the Caineville scene were analyzed by a local crime lab. Within 24 hours, investigators confirmed links between that evidence and the Santa Barbara County investigation. Cartridge cases from the Utah scene were matched in NIBIN to the cartridge found at the Buzzard home. An FBI lab later reported a familial DNA match on Dec. 22 connecting the remains to Ashlee Buzzard.
Charges, Evidence and Remaining Questions
Prosecutors have alleged the killing was premeditated and carried out with "cruelty" and "viciousness," and claim the weapon was a 9mm handgun. Investigators have not yet recovered the suspected firearm or established a clear motive. Sheriff‑Coroner Bill Brown said the degree of alleged premeditation and alleged ruthlessness were difficult to comprehend.
“We were all hoping to find Melodee alive,” FBI officials said, expressing the disappointment felt across agencies after the DNA confirmation.
Coordination and Next Steps
More than a dozen agencies, including multiple FBI field offices, assisted in mapping cross‑state movements and analyzing evidence. The FBI continues to support the local investigation with lab work and follow‑up on outstanding leads as the case moves toward prosecution.
Sheriff Brown and other officials have expressed condolences to Melodee’s family and praised their resilience. Ashlee Buzzard has remained largely uncooperative, officials said. The case is ongoing, and authorities have encouraged anyone with information to come forward.
