Melodee Buzzard (9) Is Dead – Mother Ashlee In Custody

The search for missing child Melodee Buzzard is over and her mother, Ashlee Buzzard has finally been arrested. The tragic news came just days before Christmas after the local community held protests to have her back for the festive season. Read on for more details.

Killed In October

It seems that the little girl died some time ago, as according to Santa Barbara County Sheriff-Coroner Bill Brown, it appears she died shortly after she was last seen on a surveillance camera in early October. Additionally, per People, DNA was used to identify her remains.

Melodee Buzzard officially became the victim of true crime when people stopped to take photos near Caineville, in Wayne County, Utah in early December. So, the story that Ashlee allegedly told about dropping her off with people she barely knew, didn’t pan out. Even the man she allegedly held against his will didn’t believe it anyway.

DNA & Other Evidence

Actually, while people argued that nobody was looking for Melodee, law enforcement were busy matching DNA. Plus, they were matching a used cartridge from a gun that was found at the scene, with one found during a search of Ashlee’s home.

The poor little girl was shot in the head several times. Later, Ashlee Buzzard was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office said that it was treated as a murder that came with pre-planning of a particularly cold nature. Plus, police had to forcibly break into Ashlee’s home to carry out the arrest. 

The Sad Outcome

Those true crime followers of the missing child had always feared that she would be found dead. Unfortunately, those fears came true. Melodee was last seen alive on October 9th, 2025. The video recording captured her near the Utah-Colorado border with her mother.

At the time, they were on a cross-country road trip together. On the trip, Ashlee seemed to act suspiciously, and the news arrived that she switched plates on her rental.

Most suspicious of all, was the fact that she never reported her child was missing. That came via a school administrator who noticed that no school assignments had been handed in.

The Motive?

Throughout the investigation, Ashlee Buzzard remained uncooperative with authorities. During the investigation, many reports suggested that Ashlee’s late husband’s family wanted custody of the child.

So, it seemed as if the motive was “If I can’t have her, then no one can.” However, the actual motive isn’t known at this time. Still, the investigation continues, and it probably won’t help Ashlee Buzzard to remain silent. There were reports that she displayed mental health issues, so possibly, she will be examined with that in mind.

Reactions From The Public

When the news broke, NBC News was just one outlet on YouTube to reveal the details. In the comments section, outrage and shock was very evident. One person wrote in the comments, “There are really no words adequate enough to express how disturbing this news is.”

Here are a few more responses from the discussion:

• Hope she doesn’t get away with it like Casey Anthony did.
• Her mother deserves to rot in prison, and if she murdered her in a state with the death penalty, then let her have it. Evil.
• Murdered by the most important loving human being a child needs and supposed to have in their life is beyond evil.

Let us know your thoughts on this sad tragedy and remember to come back often for all your true crime news and updates.