Ashlee Buzzard was arrested Tuesday in connection with the killing of her 9-year-old daughter, Melodee Buzzard, whose body was found in a rural area of Utah, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities allege Melodee was shot in the head and killed shortly after she was last seen alive during a road trip with her mother.
Sheriff Describes Premeditation
Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown described the crime as calculated and deliberate, saying “cold-blooded and criminally sophisticated premeditation” went into planning the killing, and “ruthlessness” into carrying it out.
Melodee was reported missing more than two months ago. Investigators believe she was killed shortly after Oct. 9, when she was last seen near the Colorado-Utah border.
Discovery of Remains and DNA Link
On Dec. 6, a man and woman discovered a decomposed body while taking photos in a rural area of Wayne County, Utah. On Monday, the FBI crime lab confirmed through DNA analysis that the remains matched familial DNA linked to Ashlee Buzzard.
Investigators said they have recovered significant evidence tying Buzzard to the crime.
Evidence Found, Weapon Still Missing
Authorities said a spent shell casing found in the Buzzard home matched evidence recovered at the Utah scene. Similar live ammunition was also found in Ashlee Buzzard’s vehicle. A murder weapon has not been recovered.
Sheriff Brown said Buzzard made deliberate efforts to prevent investigators from locating her daughter. A motive has not yet been determined.
Timeline of Disappearance
The investigation began Oct. 14, when a school administrator reported Melodee’s extended absence. Authorities determined Ashlee and Melodee left their Lompoc, California, home on Oct. 7 for a planned three-day road trip.
Melodee was last seen alive on Oct. 9 near the Colorado-Utah border. Ashlee Buzzard returned to Lompoc alone on Oct. 10 in the rental car they had taken. Authorities allege Buzzard wore wigs and switched license plates during the trip.
Ongoing Investigation
Officials said Buzzard is not cooperating and appears to have acted alone. “Maternal filicide is rare and always difficult to comprehend,” Brown said.
“Melodee deserved a far better life than she had,” the sheriff added. “May God bless the innocent soul of Melodee Buzzard who we will never forget.”
For more on this tragic story, stay tuned to Que Onda Magazine.