Ashlee Buzzard Pleads Not Guilty To Killing Melodee (9)

Ashlee Buzzard, the mother of Melody Buzzard who went missing in early October, appeared in court on Friday and pleaded not guilty to murdering her child. Read on to find out how her family reacted.

The Not Guilty Plea

When the news arrived, NewsNation on YouTube reported on the update. First, Anchor Nicole recalled and reminded viewers that Melody was missing for about two months now.

If you don’t know, a school administrator reported her missing, not her mom. She’d gone on a long and round-about a road trip to Utah with Ashlee, but her mom arrived back home in Lompoc, California without her daughter.

Nancy Loo, who covered the case, reported that the scenes in the courtroom were dramatic when Ashlee was arraigned for the crime of murder. Apparently, some of Ashlee’s family members were present, including a grandmother and a half-sister of Ashlee.

An Outcry On Court

“There was an audible gasp in the courtroom,” Loo said and then an outcry started. In fact, a court officer had to yell for order. Once order was established, the judge set a preliminary hearing “for January 7.”

Ashlee’s charges, which include first degree murder, will probably engage many true crime followers next month. Interestingly, Tyler Brewer, who had allegedly been held against his will in a separate court case against Ashlee, was present. He said that he was there to support the rest of Melodee’s family.

The Evidence

When the news arrived that little Melody Buzzard had been found dead in a remote area in Wayne County by passing road trippers. a statement gave more details  In fact, the evidence announced by authorities revealed that she died soon after she was last seen on a surveillance camera on October 9.

Other important evidence was a matched cartridge case from the Utah scene to one found in Buzzard’s rental car. For now, the judge has ordered a gag order, so it’s not clear how much more information will arrive. Fortunately, Ashlee was remanded to jail and won’t be allowed out on bond.

Viewers React

In the comments section, as you can imagine, many viewers felt shocked that in the face of much suspicious behavior, such as switching plates, that Ashlee claimed she wasn’t guilty. One person opined, “Something is seriously WRONG with Ashlee, poor sweet baby girl Melody.”

Here are a few more responses from the discussion that followed:

• This mother is a monster. What a beautiful little girl. Any mother would love to have this little girl in their life.
• Yall know she guilty!!!
• And who was it then mom??? This one is horribly obvious. RIP Melodee, I fear your life here was not easy from the get go.

Of Interest

Interestingly, Tyler Brewer had told NewsNation that Ashlee told him she left the child with a couple she barely knew. Apparently, she left the little girl with them after meeting the people at a zoo. It will be interesting to see if that forms part of her defense.

What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below, and remember to come back here often for all your true crime news and updates.