A mother charged with killing her 9-year-old daughter in Utah appeared in Superior Court in Lompoc on Wednesday morning for a brief hearing, and her attorney filed a motion to unseal search warrants in the case.

Ashlee Buzzard, 40, of Vandenberg Village has been charged with murder plus use of a firearm and lying in wait. Authorities believe the killing occurred in early October.

After weeks of investigators trying to locate Melodee Buzzard, 9, her remains were found last month in a rural Utah location.

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

Wednesday’s procedural hearing was the second of many, with a date not set yet for a preliminary hearing, which is unlikely to occur anytime soon.

Buzzard’s new attorney, Senior Deputy Public Defender Erica Sutherland, revealed plans to file what’s called a Hobbs motion. That document has asked the judge to unseal the search warrants and affidavits used by investigators.

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.

The motion urged the judge to conduct an in-chambers review to determine whether the warrants and affidavits should remain sealed. Sutherland’s motion states that the secrecy, including any possible involvement of a confidential informant, hampers the defense.

“Due to the absence of any factual information relied upon to issue the warrants, Ms. Buzzard is wholly precluded from exercising her right to challenge the sufficiency of the warrants in any way,” Sutherland wrote. 

This means the defense cannot challenge “the veracity of any informant if one exists, the timeliness of the information, the lawfulness of the acquisition of the information or the reliability of the information.”

“She has no way of knowing whether the affidavits contain misstatements — intentional, reckless or otherwise,” the defense attorney wrote. 

Sutherland requested that the case return to Judge Stephen Dunkle’s courtroom in two weeks for a hearing on the motion.

Sutherland said she didn’t know whether the prosecuting attorney would oppose the motion. 

“I’ll need to discuss it with the Sheriff’s Department,” Senior Deputy District Attorney Jordan Lockey said. 

Dunkle ordered the case to return Jan. 21, with plans to hold a contested hearing if needed, on another date.

Sutherland also asked Dunkle to address the temporary protective order, a gag order, limiting Sheriff Bill Brown and Sheriff’s Office employees from extrajudicial statements about Buzzard’s “guilt, character, alleged motives, mental state or the strength of the evidence in this pending case.”

A previous judge in the case granted the order.

A representative of the Santa Barbara County Counsel’s Office wasn’t present at the hearing Wednesday.

“I don’t know that we can have a hearing about a permanent injunction without the relative parties present,” Lockey said.

Sutherland said the County Counsel’s Office was notified but appeared to be “voluntarily absent.”

The protective order’s continuance “is critical for ensuring that Ms. Buzzard has a right to a fair trial,” Sutherland said. “At a minimum I request that the court maintain the status quo, but I would be asking for a hearing on the permanence of that temporary order.”

“I’m inclined to maintain the status quo for now,” Dunkle said, adding that they could revisit the issue Jan. 21 and set a hearing date if County Counsel contests the gag order’s extension.

Buzzard also waived her right to a speedy trial through March. 

The hearing attracted a large crowd of spectators at the Lompoc courtroom and virtually via Zoom. The crowd included media, family members and strangers, several of whom wore T-shirts with the girl’s photo and the words “Justice for Melodee.”

“This is taking so long,” paternal grandmother Lilly Denes said, adding that it’s her first time being involved in such a case. 

She also confirmed that there is a family-approved GoFundMe account, Honoring Melodee Buzzard Meza. It had raised $4,335 as of Wednesday evening to help cover memorial costs.

“Melodee will forever be remembered for her light and beautiful smile she brought into this world during her short time here. We humbly ask for prayers, kindness, and support during this incredibly painful time,” Corinna Meza, an aunt of Melodee’s half-sister, wrote.

Criminal court cases can take months or even years to get to trial, and the timeline is affected by factors such as investigation, legal challenges, and scheduling issues for attorneys and the judge.