California police are looking for the public’s help in trying to find a missing girl. Melodee Buzzard, who is from Lompoc, California, is missing, and no one has seen her in at least a year. The girl lives with her mom, Ashlee Buzzard; her father is dead, so it’s just the two of them. Her mom has been questioned about her daughter’s disappearance, but police said she didn’t give a good enough explanation for why the girl hasn’t been seen. Currently, her disappearance is being treated as a missing person’s case, but things could change as time goes on.
An investigation into the disappearance of 9-year-old Melodee began on October 14, 2025, the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office shared in a news release. According to the release, a school administrator reported Melodee for having a “prolonged absence.” Deputies attempted to contact the girl’s mother, Ashlee Buzzard.
When deputies showed up at their home, the little girl wasn’t there. They said “no clear explanation was provided” for where she was.
Detectives said they haven’t been able to confirm any recent sightings of Melodee. The last time anyone could confirm having seen her was “approximately one year ago.” And the most recent confirmed picture of her is from two years ago.
“Sheriff’s detectives are urging anyone who may have seen Melodee or had any contact with her in the past year to come forward. Even small details may be critical in helping investigators ensure her safety,” the release shared.
Sheriff’s office spokesperson Raquel Zick spoke with ABC News about Melodee’s case. She shared that deputies spoke to Ashlee Buzzard, but she did not give any additional information about what the conversation entailed. On the evening of October 15, law enforcement executed a search warrant on the Buzzards’ home.
According to Zick, the Melodee Buzzard case still is considered a missing person’s investigation. “This is not a homicide investigation — it is an at-risk missing juvenile case,” she explained. “I think it definitely does warrant being called suspicious.”
Zick also told the news outlet that despite a school sounding the alarm about the girl’s disappearance, she’s been homeschooled “at least for a couple of years.” A spokesperson for the California Department of Education, however, told ABC News it has no record of her mother filing an annual private school affidavit, which is necessary for homeschooled kids.
Investigators have been in touch with Child Welfare Services about Melodee’s disappearance. They’ve also been speaking with neighbors.
“As a mother, my mom heart absolutely cannot take this. I felt really inclined to step in,” neighbor Janet Holmes told KSBY. She tried to talk to Ashlee Buzzard “to be helpful, to suggest maybe we put out fliers,” but the woman never answered the door. Another neighbor, Kasey Monreal, said investigators and CPS have been requesting surveillance footage from the neighborhood.
Extended family told the outlet they found out about Melodee going missing from Facebook. Her aunt, Lizabeth Meza, said the family was largely cut off from the girl after her father’s death. “We haven’t seen her in over four years due to the mother not allowing the family to see her,” Meza told KSBY.
Melodee was remembered as being sweet and kind. “She has a beautiful smile. She’s very, very loving, very welcoming; she loved to be around her family.”
