The day before Christmas, a Lompoc Valley mother was formally charged Wednesday with first-degree murder in the death of her 9-year-old daughter, Melodee Buzzard.
Ashlee Buzzard, 40, of Vandenberg Village is scheduled to make her first appearance in Santa Barbara County Superior Court on Friday for an arraignment hearing in Santa Maria’s Department 9.
Along with murder, she also faces a special circumstance for allegedly committing the killing by lying in wait, and a special allegation, or sentencing enhancement, for personally and intentionally discharging a firearm causing death.
The special circumstance makes it capital murder case, meaning Buzzard faces the possibility of the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted.
Melodee’s decomposed body was found Dec. 6 in Utah, and authorities determined she had gunshot wounds to the head, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
Confirmation of her identity via DNA analysis occurred Dec. 22.
Sheriff’s detectives took Buzzard into custody Tuesday morning at her residence on the 500 block of Mars Avenue.
While the girl’s body was found out of state, Sheriff Bill Brown confirmed on Tuesday that Buzzard would be prosecuted in Santa Barbara County.
“The plan is this trial will take place here since the intent was believed to have been formed here in our county prior to going on this road trip and committing the actual crime,” Brown said.
As authorities announced discovery of Melodee’s remains and Buzzard’s arrest, social media groups that had been focused on finding the girl were renamed to reference “Justice for Melodee”and “For the love of Melodee”
For weeks, social media users have questioned why Buzzard had remained free while she remained uncooperative regarding her daughter’s whereabouts.
But Brown’s press conference on Buzzard’s arrest and the discovery of Melodee’s remains revealed the methodical work of investigators to collect evidence for a court case.
During a search of Buzzard’s Mars Avenue home, investigators recovered an expended cartridge case, Brown said, adding that a search of the vehicle turned up a live round of similar ammunition.
Detectives submitted the expended cartridge case to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to be included in a database known as the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, or NIBIN.
“On Dec. 17, 2025, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives examination of cartridge cases found at the Utah crime scene resulted in a NIBIN hit, linking them to the single cartridge case that was found at the Buzzard residence,” Brown said.
The firearm used in the killing has not been located, Brown said.
The sheriff also revealed that investigators had obtained and served search warrants in the case on at least three separate occasions, focused on the Mars Avenue home home, the Chevrolet Malibu car Buzzard rented, and her storage facility.
The search for Melodee began Oct. 14 after law enforcement officers were asked to check on the girl but found her mom uncooperative and unable to give deputies verifiable information about her location.
Investigators determined Ashlee Buzzard had rented a car and driven east, with the four-day trip spanning multiple states. Along with California the trek took the pair into Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska and Kansas.
The girl’s remains were found in a remote area of Wayne County, Utah, earlier this month by a couple taking photos.
Sheriff’s Lt. Chris Gotschall noted the uniqueness of the case in part due to geography and the involvement of several agencies across multiple states.
“This case required an extraordinary level of coordination and commitment amongst all agencies,” Gotschall said.
As they looked for information about Melodee’s whereabouts, detectives investigated out-of-state locations after determining Buzzard’s likely route and sprawling crime scene.
“We’ve been following a ton of leads looking at a lot of different data and information. It is an expansive area of the United States that we were searching, and unfortunately we didn’t have specific location information until recently,” Gotschall added.
During the investigation, detectives determined the mother and daughter donned wigs to conceal their identifies. Detectives also discovered that Buzzard switched license plates on the rental vehicle and backed into gas stations during the trip to avoid detection.
In addition to chasing leads out of state, investigators maintained surveillance of Buzzard while dealing with the uncooperative mother.
“Despite those attempts, their focus never wavered,” Brown said of his investigators’ discipline, methodical and relentless effort to find the girl and solve the case.
Detectives have recovered a significant amount of evidence — physical, digital and forensic, Brown added.
Earlier in the investigation, the FBI joined the efforts to locate Melodee, leading a top agent to say, “Our collective hearts are broken as a result of this senseless outcome.”
“The agents in our Santa Maria office just north of here worked tirelessly for the past couple of months with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, and this has no doubt affected them personally,” said Patrick Grandy, special agent iin charge of the Los Angeles field office, during Tuesday’s press conference.
“We were all hoping to find Melodee alive as you undoubtedly were as well,” Grandy said. “That said, the FBI will continue to provide resources to the county of Santa Barbara as they pursue justice for Melodee, whether that be laboratory services, running down leads in other states or other investigative assets.”
On Wednesday, Buzzard remained on the custody of the Santa Barbara County Jail, where she is being held without bail.