Missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard taken by mother after adoption: grandmother

The grandmother of lacking Melodee Buzzard says she was within the means of adopting the kid when the 9-year-old’s mom “took her” shortly after she was launched from a psychiatric hospital in 2021.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Workplace opened an investigation into Melodee’s whereabouts on October 14 after a faculty principal reported that she had not been current for an “prolonged” time period. Officers stated her mom, Ashlee Buzzard, couldn’t present a verifiable rationalization for the woman’s location.

Authorities stated Ashlee was “uncooperative and has not confirmed Melodee’s location or well-being.” Melodee is taken into account lacking and “at risk” by the sheriff’s workplace, which is receiving help from the FBI to find the lacking woman.

In an interview with Fox Information Digital, Melodee’s paternal grandmother, Lilly Denes, stated that social providers contacted her whereas Ashlee was in a psychiatric hospital and requested if she wished to take Melodee in to keep away from foster care.

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Ashlee Buzzard, left, the mom of Melodee Buzzard, proper, is seen in a surveillance picture taken at a automotive rental company in Lompoc, California, on October 7, 2025. (Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Workplace)

Denes did so — and began the adoption course of — however stated Ashlee “took her away from us” in 2021 after selecting her up from faculty following her launch from the psychological hospital.

“We had been so completely satisfied when social providers known as us and advised us they had been going to put the infant with us. You understand, we had been so completely satisfied,” Denes stated. “That woman is mentally in poor health.”

Since then, the grandmother stated she was not allowed to see Melodee, including that Ashlee had minimize the woman off “from the entire world.” Denes stated Ashlee “minimize off” Melodee from her whole household.

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Melodee Buzzard is proven right here in a photograph that the FBI says was taken in 2023. (FBI)

The grandmother stated she had a wierd feeling about Ashlee from the second they met.

“After I met her, my son was bringing her residence. She regarded so quiet and adopted me backwards and forwards together with her eyes, and I stated to my son, ‘Son, is that this woman okay? She does not appear to be she’s regular,’” Denes stated. “There’s one thing incorrect with this woman.”

She described Melodee as a “very completely satisfied child, at all times smiling, very sensible.”

MELODEE BUZZARD DISAPPEARANCE: NEW SURVEILLANCE PHOTOS SHOW MISSING CALIFORNIA GIRL, 9, IN POSSIBLE DISGUISE

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Workplace has launched a brand new picture of Melodee Buzzard “captured at a neighborhood automotive rental company on October 7.” (Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Workplace)

“I do know perhaps somebody on this planet is aware of the place my child is. Any individual has to know,” Denes stated.

Based on authorities, Ashlee left California together with her 9-year-old daughter on October 7 and traveled to Nebraska in a Chevrolet Malibu with a California license plate, with the return journey together with Kansas.

On October 8, the Malibu was seen with a New York license plate. Detectives stated the New York license plate doesn’t belong to Ashlee and that it was used as a “false or switched plate to keep away from detection.” When the automotive was returned to the automotive rental firm in California, the unique license plate was allegedly positioned again on the automotive.

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The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Workplace stated, “Melodee is sporting a hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled up and what seems to be a wig that’s darker and straighter than her pure hair,” and that “investigators consider the wig might have been used to change her look.” (Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Workplace)

Detectives consider the Malibu traveled by numerous areas between California, Arizona, Utah and Nevada on or round October 9.

“Someplace alongside that route we all know that Ashlee was not with Melodee,” Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Public Data Officer Raquel Zick stated. CUTV.

Investigators beforehand launched surveillance video from a rental automotive location in Lompoc, California, displaying Ashlee and Melodee Buzzard apparently each sporting wigs.

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Investigators say Ashlee and Melodee Buzzard had been touring when the younger woman disappeared. (Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Workplace)

“The photographs are in line with beforehand launched images and present each Ashlee and Melodee sporting wigs. Investigators additionally consider Ashlee modified wigs through the journey, switching to a darker wig related in shade and elegance to the wig Melodee was sporting. This alteration in look might have been intentional to keep away from recognition whereas touring,” the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Workplace stated.

On November 7, Ashlee was charged with false imprisonment after allegedly holding a person captive. She was launched from jail beneath numerous situations, together with having to put on a GPS monitor.

Tyler Brewer, who stated he’s a court docket officer, stated in a press release that Ashlee “turned visibly upset after sharing data that she appeared to remorse,” pulled out a field cutter, locked the doorways of her residence and refused to let him go away. ABC News reports this.

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WATCH: Ashlee and Melodee Buzzard on the rental automotive location

Brouwer stated NewsNation that Ashlee advised him the place Melodee was and who she was with. Nonetheless, Brewer stated he has considerations about whether or not the data Ashlee advised him was true.

Melodee is described by officers as 4 toes to 4 toes tall, 6 inches tall, 60 to 100 kilos, with curly brown hair and brown eyes.

Individuals with data on Melodee’s whereabouts are requested to contact (805) 681-4150.

Fox Information Digital has reached out to Ashlee’s legal professional for remark.