The FBI Las Vegas Field Office is coordinating a multi-state effort in the search for Melodee Buzzard, a nine-year-old girl reported missing and considered to be at risk. Buzzard, traveling with her mother Ashlee, is believed to have passed through Primm, Nevada, and might still be in the state, as stated in a KTNV report.
The investigation began after Melodee's school reported her prolonged absence on October 14. Following this, deputies were unable to obtain a "verifiable explanation for Melodee's whereabouts" from Ashlee during a visit to their Lompoc, California, home. Her lack of cooperation has complicated the investigation, as noted by KTNV. Surveillance footage suggests the mother and daughter were traveling in a white 2024 Chevrolet Malibu that was, at one point, displaying a New York license plate, HCG9677, which was later switched back to the original California plates when the vehicle was returned to a rental agency, as reporetd by FOX5 Vegas. The search has extended as far as Nebraska, with a suspected return route through Kansas, authorities believe.
The last confirmed sighting of Melodee was on October 9 near the Colorado-Utah border. She is described as 4′6″ tall, weighing 60 lbs., with curly brown hair and brown eyes, though investigators believe she and her mother may be wearing wigs to alter their appearance. The FBI is urging individuals in specific regions—including Green River, Utah; Panguitch, Utah; northwest Arizona; Primm, Nevada; and Rancho Cucamonga, California—to review and submit any surveillance footage that might help locate Melodee and Ashlee Buzzard.
Community members, particularly in the regions Melodee and Ashlee traveled through, are encouraged to share any useful information, perhaps sightings or encounters between October 9 and October 10, or videos that may showcase the pair en route, these tidbits could prove pivotal in ensuring the child’s safety, with the investigation vigorously moving forward in multiple states. The public can contact the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Office by calling the detectives line at 805-681-4150, submitting an anonymous tip at 805-681-4171, or providing tips online at the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s or FBI's dedicated pages for the missing child.
