Ashlee Buzzard has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge in the shooting death of her 9-year-old daughter, Melodee Buzzard. The plea was entered during her arraignment Friday, according to Santa Barbara ABC affiliate KEYT.
Charges and Allegations
Buzzard is charged with murder with special allegations, court documents show. Prosecutors allege she personally and intentionally discharged a firearm causing Melodee’s death and carried out the killing by means of lying in wait.
Santa Barbara County District Attorney John Savrnoch said the death penalty will not be sought. If convicted, prosecutors plan to pursue life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Arrest and Investigation
Buzzard was arrested Tuesday in connection with Melodee’s death. The child was found shot in the head earlier this month in a rural area of Utah, authorities said.
Sheriff Bill Brown described the case as involving “cold-blooded and criminally sophisticated” premeditation, adding that investigators believe significant planning went into the alleged crime.
Timeline of Disappearance
Melodee was reported missing more than two months before her mother’s arrest. Authorities believe she was killed shortly after she was last seen alive on Oct. 9 near the Colorado-Utah border during a road trip with her mother.
Investigators said a spent shell casing found in Buzzard’s home matched evidence recovered at the Utah scene, and similar live rounds were found in her vehicle. A motive has not been determined.
For more on the murder case, stay tuned to Que Onda Magazine.