Melody Buzzard in 2023 (Santa Barbara County Sheriff).
Cops in California are frantically searching for a 9-year-old girl who went missing earlier this month after her mother allegedly drove her from the Golden State to Nebraska and returned without her.
Melodee Buzzard was last seen on Oct. 7 with her mother Ashlee Buzzard when they left their home in Lompoc, which is some 60 miles northwest of Santa Barbara, for Nebraska, according to authorities. Investigators say they are particularly interested in what happened in the week that followed on their so-called road trip.
Cops say Buzzard "remains uncooperative and has not provided any information" about her daughter's location or welfare, although she is not yet facing any charges. Authorities first learned something was amiss on Oct. 14 when the Lompoc Unified School District alerted them about Melodee's "extended absence." Deputies with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office went to Buzzard's home in the 500 block of Mars Avenue, but "Melodee was not home and there was no verifiable explanation for her whereabouts."
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Sheriff Bill Brown called it a "perplexing" case.
"The Sheriff's Office shares the community's concern for Melodee's safety and is committed to bringing her home," he said. "We are hopeful that Melodee might be with someone – perhaps an extended family member or friend – who may not be aware of the circumstances of her disappearance."
Local, state and federal authorities are aiding in the search. Cops are discouraging anyone from conducting a search themselves, but anyone with concrete tips can call the anonymous tip line at (805) 681-4171.
The photo deputies released is from about two years ago and officials note that her appearance may have changed since then. Currently, she's about 4'6" and weighs 60 pounds. She has brown eyes and brown hair.
Local NBC affiliate KSBY spoke to Ashlee Buzzard's mother Lori Miranda who said her daughter has been suffering from mental health problems after Melodee's father died in a car crash when the girl was a baby. She said CPS took custody of Melodee after finding the girl living in a home in squalor.
"I couldn't believe it was my daughter," Miranda told the TV station. "I mean, the house was in disarray. There were raw eggs in pans, there was rotten food in the fridge I think she was trying to give my granddaughter."
She hasn't seen her granddaughter in nearly two years. In the interview, Miranda spoke to Melodee directly in hopes she can reach her.
"Please tell somebody, 'I'm Melodee Buzzard,'" Miranda said. "'My grandma, Luna, is looking for me. Please call the police.'"