The search for 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard has expanded to include Nebraska, after investigators in California said the missing girl may have traveled through or to the state with her mother earlier this month.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said detectives recently confirmed that Melodee was last seen in August 2025 through records from the Lompoc Unified School District. A later update released this week narrowed that timeline, saying evidence indicates she was with her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, as recently as October 7 and that the pair may have driven a white Chevrolet Malibu (California plate 9MNG101) outside Santa Barbara County—possibly as far as Nebraska.
Authorities said the vehicle was a rental that is no longer in Ashlee’s possession. Detectives have described her as uncooperative and said they have not received any verified information about Melodee’s current location or condition.
In a statement to KLIN News, Nebraska State Patrol spokesperson Cody Thomas confirmed that state investigators “are assisting,” adding that the FBI is the lead agency in the search.
Santa Barbara County detectives are urging anyone who has seen Melodee or Ashlee Buzzard since October 7 to contact their Criminal Investigations Division at (805) 681-4150. Anonymous tips can be submitted online at sbsheriff.org or through the tip line at (805) 681-4171.
Officials emphasized that while public concern is high, residents should not attempt to conduct independent searches, saying those efforts could interfere with ongoing investigative work.