Overview
- Deputies opened the case on Oct. 14 after a school official reported Melodee’s extended absence from an independent‑study program.
- Newly released Oct. 7 surveillance from a Lompoc car‑rental business shows Melodee in a hooded sweatshirt wearing what appears to be a darker, straighter wig.
- Detectives say Ashlee Buzzard drove a rented white Chevrolet Malibu from Lompoc toward Nebraska, returned Oct. 10, and came home without her daughter.
- A search warrant was served at the family’s Mars Avenue residence on Oct. 15, and investigators say Ashlee has provided no verifiable explanation and remains uncooperative.
- The FBI joined the multi‑agency probe on Oct. 18, with authorities urging tips to locate the at‑risk child described as 4‑foot‑6 and 60 pounds with brown hair and eyes.