A mother’s desperate search for her daughter took a startling turn this week as a felony charge against her was unexpectedly dismissed. Ashlee Buzzard, whose nine-year-old daughter, Melodee, has been missing for months, faced accusations of false imprisonment, a case that now hangs in the balance as the search for Melodee intensifies.
The initial charge stemmed from a November incident where Tyler Stuart Brewer testified Buzzard allegedly held him against his will inside her Lompoc home. He described a tense encounter, claiming Buzzard locked him in after he arrived for a visit, a box cutter ominously placed within sight. Brewer recounted feeling threatened, repeatedly asking to leave while Buzzard remained agitated and unyielding.
Prosecutors presented evidence, including photographs of reinforced locks and a six-minute recording of the conversation. In the recording, Buzzard accused Brewer of seeking publicity, while he pleaded to be allowed to depart. Despite the testimony and evidence, the court ultimately found insufficient grounds to proceed with the felony charge, releasing Buzzard from pretrial supervision and removing her ankle monitor.
The dismissal, however, does not diminish the urgency surrounding Melodee’s disappearance. Her grandmother, Lisa Denes, has been a vocal advocate, painting a disturbing picture of escalating control in the months leading up to Melodee vanishing. Denes believes Buzzard systematically isolated the child, severing ties with family and friends.
Melodee was last definitively seen in early October during a road trip with her mother, captured on surveillance footage at a Lompoc rental car agency – both wearing disguises. Authorities suspect the wigs and a switched license plate were deliberate attempts to evade detection as they traveled across state lines, eventually reaching the Utah-Colorado border.
Buzzard returned to California alone, offering no verifiable explanation for Melodee’s whereabouts and remaining largely uncooperative with investigators. The FBI has now joined the search, meticulously retracing their route and pursuing any potential leads. The investigation revealed a possible, yet unconfirmed, sighting placing Melodee back in Ventura County, near her home.
A chilling detail has emerged: the route taken by Buzzard and Melodee passed near the gravesite of Melodee’s father. Investigators believe this proximity could be crucial in establishing a more precise timeline of their journey. Despite the dismissed charge, authorities emphasize that the two cases remain separate, and the focus remains firmly on finding Melodee.
Anyone with information regarding Melodee Buzzard’s location is urged to contact the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office or the FBI tip line. The search continues, fueled by a grandmother’s unwavering hope and the desperate need to bring a missing child home.
