California authorities are searching for 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard after a school official flagged her prolonged absence from an independent studies program. This set off an investigation that has now created uncertainty about when anyone last saw the girl.
At first, investigators characterized the case as a child who last seen in October 2024. However, the sheriff’s office, working with the school district, confirmed that school officials saw Melodee was as recently as August 2025, which shifted the timeline.
