A mother accused of killing her 9-year-old daughter appeared Wednesday in Lompoc Superior Court, where the judge and attorneys resolved procedural matters but did not set a date for the preliminary hearing.

Ashlee Buzzard, 40, made another brief appearance in a Lompoc courtroom where Judge Stephen Dunkle was told that the defense team continues to await additional evidence.

The Vandenberg Village woman has been charged with murder plus use of a firearm and lying in wait. Authorities believe the killing occurred in early October.

Investigators spent weeks trying to locate Melodee Buzzard, 9, contending her mother remained uncooperative.

The girl’s remains were found in December in a rural Utah location.

Santa Barbara County sheriff’s deputies arrested Buzzard Dec. 23, and she pleaded not guilty to the charges during an arraignment hearing on Dec. 26..

No date has been set for the preliminary hearing, which likely is months away from happening. 

“I’m still missing a significant amount of discovery,” Senior Deputy Public Defender Erica Sutherland said Wednesday morning, adding that she had yet received any forensics evidence.

The judge and attorneys  agreed to return to court Feb. 11 to assess the release of discovery to the defense team. 

Labeled a preliminary hearing setting, early court appearances in a criminal case involving serious charges such as murder often focus on assorted legal matters before the attorneys and judge choose a date for a preliminary hearing.

Earlier, the judge, Sutherland and  Senior Deputy District Attorney Jordan Lockey agreed the prosecution could hand over the search warrants and affidavits from the investigation to the defense.

Sutherland filed a Hobbs motion seeking details about search warrants and affidavits, including  any possible confidential informants.

The defense isn’t aware that any affidavits identify informants, so protecting confidentiality does not appear to be a legitimate basis to prevent disclosure, Sutherland said her motion.

During searches of Buzzard’s home and storage unit, investigators seized two cameras, Apple iPad and Galaxy A7 tablets, a computer, microSD cards, USB sticks, an AT&T sim card, and a cellphone, according to the defense motion.

While agreeing to release the details to the defense attorney, the judge said he intended the evidence would remain private to members of the public.

On Wednesday, the judge also extended a temporary gag order for the Sheriff’s Office. 

A member of the County Counsel’s Office said the Sheriff’s Office would not take a position on the gag order’s extension and deferred to the court.

The judge ruled that the gag order would remain in effect for the remainder of the case against Buzzard. 

Gag orders of various types are common when criminal cases draw high-level attention from members of the public and media. 

On Wednesday, Buzzard also extended the waiver of her right to a speedy trial through April.

For the hearing, Buzzard again wore civilian clothes, a reddish top and black slacks, instead of jail garb, not unusual as defense attorneys balk at having their clients appear in the distinctive uniform they contend implies guilt.

A trial for Buzzard likely won’t occur for more than a year. For reference, a jury trial for a defendant in a 2022 homicide in Lompoc could start this March in Dunkle’s Courtroom.

Buzzard remains in the custody of the Santa Barbara County Jail, where she is being held without bail.