Physique of lacking California lady Melodee Buzzard discovered after 2-month search, supply says

The physique of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard was discovered of state greater than two months after she went lacking in Southern California, a legislation enforcement supply aware of the investigation advised NBC Information on Tuesday.

Melodee’s physique was discovered earlier this month, in keeping with the supply.

Her mom, Ashlee Buzzard, was taken again into custody, in keeping with video shared with NBC Information affiliate KSBY. The neighbors mentioned they noticed her being taken by deputies from her dwelling in Vandenberg Village early Tuesday morning. It’s not instantly clear why Buzzard was taken into custody.

The Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Workplace didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark from NBC Information. In a submit on its X account, the sheriff’s workplace mentioned it could share “main developments” within the case at a press convention scheduled for this afternoon.

Ashlee Buzzard, 40, has been uncooperative through the search and investigation into Melodee’s disappearance, sheriff’s officers have mentioned.

Lompoc Unified Faculty District mentioned in a press release in October that Buzzard introduced Melodee to an unbiased research program in August to enroll, however the lady didn’t attend by early October, prompting a collection of responses to truancy that culminated in notifying legislation enforcement.

Investigators have centered their consideration on a highway journey the mom and daughter took from Oct. 7 to Oct. 10 from Southern California to Nebraska.

Safety video confirmed Melodee sporting a wig Oct. 7 on the rental automobile enterprise the place they picked up a Chevrolet Malibu, the sheriff’s workplace mentioned. Detectives imagine the wig was used to throw off makes an attempt to trace or discover her, they usually mentioned her mom was identified to put on them.

Sooner or later through the journey, the rental automobile’s license plate was briefly switched to a New York plate, allegedly to keep away from detection, the sheriff’s workplace mentioned.

Authorities mentioned Melodee was final seen on the return leg of the journey on Oct. 9, close to the Utah-Colorado border, however was not with Ashlee Buzzard when she returned dwelling with the rental car on Oct. 10, detectives mentioned in a collection of updates.

Sheriff’s deputies arrested Ashlee Buzzard on suspicion of felony false imprisonment on Nov. 7 in a separate case. A person testified that she held him towards his will at her dwelling and had a field cutter, NBC affiliate KSBY of San Luis Obispo reported. The cost was dismissed Nov. 20, with prosecutors later citing contradictory data and inadequate proof, a spokesperson for the regional district legal professional mentioned.

Makes an attempt to achieve Ashlee Buzzard since late October have been unsuccessful, and her mom, reached by telephone, declined to remark.

Melodee’s disappearance stirred concern amongst some in her group of Vandenberg Village, about 160 miles northwest of Los Angeles. Folks have typically gathered outdoors her dwelling and shouted questions in regards to the lady’s whereabouts.

Corinna Meza, Melodee’s half-sister, mentioned, “We’re all in search of solutions,” KSBY reported. She mentioned Melodee’s father died when her little sister was a child, and that the lady had hardly ever been seen, even amongst household.