Authorities in California announced Tuesday that Ashlee Buzzard has been arrested and charged with murdering her 9-year-old daughter. Melodee Buzzard’s body was discovered earlier this month in a remote area of southern Utah. The discovery followed a two-month search spanning multiple states.
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Sheriff-Coroner Bill Brown said investigators believe Melodee was shot in the head and killed shortly after she was last seen alive on Oct. 9. This occurred during a road trip with her mother near the Colorado-Utah border. Brown explained that the arrest followed weeks of forensic analysis—which involves scientific testing of evidence such as DNA or fingerprints—and investigative work that linked evidence found in California to the crime scene in Utah.
Brown stated that the criminal activity involved significant planning and premeditation, as well as actions that demonstrated a high degree of organization and intent.
Melodee’s remains were discovered Dec. 6 in Wayne County, Utah, when a man and woman taking photographs in a rural area came across a decomposed body and alerted local authorities. At the time, investigators could not immediately identify the remains, though they determined the victim was a young female who had suffered fatal gunshot wounds.
The case took a major turn this week when the FBI crime laboratory confirmed a DNA match between the Utah remains and familial DNA, which refers to DNA from relatives, linked to Ashlee Buzzard. Brown said the sheriff’s office was formally notified of the match on Monday. This allowed investigators to move forward with an arrest the following day.
Investigators said forensic evidence played a critical role in building the case. A spent shell casing recovered during a search of Buzzard’s home in Lompoc, California, was later matched to cartridge casings found near Melodee’s body in Utah. Officials also recovered live ammunition of the same type from a vehicle used by Buzzard during the road trip.
Despite those findings, authorities said the murder weapon has not been recovered. Brown said investigators continue to pursue leads related to the firearm and other unanswered questions surrounding the crime.
Brown said, “We have recovered a significant amount of evidence that indicates Ashlee Buzzard committed this crime. This was the person her daughter relied on and trusted the most.”
The investigation began Oct. 14, when a school district administrator reported Melodee missing after noting the child’s extended absence from class. Authorities later determined that Buzzard and her daughter left their home on Oct. 7 for what was described as a three-day road trip. The trip traveled through multiple states, including Nebraska.
Surveillance footage and vehicle tracking data showed Melodee was last seen alive on Oct. 9 near the Utah-Colorado border. Investigators say Buzzard returned alone to Lompoc on Oct. 10 in the same rental vehicle used for the trip.
Authorities alleged that Buzzard took deliberate steps to evade detection during the journey. Brown said she wore wigs, changed her appearance, and swapped license plates on the rental vehicle. Investigators believe those actions were part of a broader effort to conceal the crime and delay discovery.
A motive for the killing has not been determined. Brown said Buzzard has remained uncooperative with investigators throughout the case and continues to decline to provide information. Officials said evidence suggests she acted alone.
Brown said, “Maternal filicide is rare and difficult to understand,” and described the case as one of the most complex his office has handled.
In closing remarks at the news conference, Brown spoke directly about the loss of the child at the center of the investigation.
He said, “Today we acknowledge our collective grief and resolve. Melodee deserved a different life. Our thoughts are with her memory.”
Buzzard remains in custody as prosecutors prepare to move forward with the case. The investigation remains active as authorities continue searching for the murder weapon and reviewing additional evidence.
