New evidence in the disappearance of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard confirms she was seen alive during her mother’s cross-country road trip, and that Melodee’s mom, Ashlee Buzzard, switched license plates mid-journey to Nebraska.
Surveillance footage, vehicle tracking data, and witness statements have provided the clearest picture yet of the mysterious trip that began in early October 2025 and ended with Melodee still missing. According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, a white 2024 Chevrolet Malibu rented by Ashlee left Lompoc on October 7, 2025, displaying California license plate 9MNG101.
However, traffic cameras and eyewitnesses spotted the same car bearing a New York plate, HCG9677. Investigators believe the plate swap occurred somewhere in the Utah-Colorado corridor, suggesting a calculated move to evade detection during the return leg of the journey.
The Melodee sighting
LOOK AT THIS!
— Julie Grant (@JulieCourtTV) November 4, 2025Ashlee Buzzard with her daughter Melodee at a car rental business on October 7th. Both wearing wigs. Police say she used a false license plate during their trip. @CourtTV #MelodeeBuzzard pic.twitter.com/YyDMjMVuHl
Detectives have also confirmed security video on the return route near the Colorado–Utah border on October 9 shows Melodee in the passenger seat of the Malibu. That footage, investigators say, is the last verified image of the child. When Ashlee arrived back in Lompoc on October 10, she was alone.
The mother and daughter’s journey stretched across several states. Data from traffic cameras suggest the car traveled east through Nevada, Utah, and into Nebraska before returning west through Kansas and specific points in Arizona and Southern California. Specific locations include Green River, Utah; Panguitch, Utah; Northwest Arizona; Primm, Nevada; and Rancho Cucamonga, California.
Officials say Melodee was seen in surveillance images from multiple stops, wearing a dark wig and a gray hoodie, which detectives now believe may have been part of an effort to disguise her. Investigators are now reconstructing Ashlee’s travel route between October 7 and 10, hoping to identify where and when Melodee was last seen.
What happened to Melodee Buzzard?
The case first came to light when the Lompoc Unified School District reported Melodee missing after she failed to check in regarding her homeschool program. Deputies who visited the family’s home said Ashlee could not provide a verifiable explanation for her daughter’s location. The FBI has since joined the investigation, citing potential interstate elements and concern for the child’s safety.
Family members have described Ashlee’s behavior as increasingly erratic in recent years. Relatives told People that she had restricted access to Melodee, keeping her away from extended family.
Detectives are now reviewing social-media activity, cell-phone data, and rental-car records to assess the mother’s mental state and motives leading up to the trip. While investigators have not publicly declared Ashlee a suspect, officials describe her as “uncooperative.”
Authorities say the search for Melodee remains active. The Sheriff’s Office and the FBI have served follow-up search warrants at Ashlee home, a storage locker, and the rental car.
Detectives are appealing to anyone who may have seen a white Chevrolet Malibu with either California or New York plates between October 8 and 10 to contact the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s tip line at (805) 681-4171 or submit information online at sbsheriff.org. Or call the detectives at (805) 681-4150.
