Sheriff, FBI search mother’s home in mystery of missing Central Coast girl
Santa Barbara sheriff’s detectives and the FBI served more search warrants Thursday at the home of the mother whose daughter is the focus of an intense missing persons case.
Investigators believe Melodee Buzzard, 9, disappeared after her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, rented a car and drove to Nebraska on Oct. 7. Her mother returned to her Lompoc home in Vandenberg Village alone on Oct. 10. Surveillance footage showed Melodee outside the car rental company appearing to wear a wig.
Lompoc Unified School District contacted the Sheriff’s Office to report the child had not been seen since August, when she enrolled in an independent learning program, the Sheriff’s Office said. Family members also have not seen Melodee since August.
Ashlee Buzzard has not cooperated with detectives since the investigation began.
On Thursday, detectives escorted Ashlee to an alternate location so she would not interfere with their ability to search her home, the agency said in a news release. Detectives also searched a storage locker and the rental car Melodee was last seen in, the agency said.
The case remains a missing person investigation, the Sheriff’s Office said, and no arrests have been made.
“We appreciate the FBI’s assistance in today’s searches,” Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Lt. Chris Gotschall said in the news release. “In cases like this, every detail matters ,and it is invaluable to have additional resources and specialized expertise. Collaboration with our federal partners allows us to ensure we’re using every available tool to help bring resolution to this case.”
Ashlee Buzzard’s mother, Lori Miranda, told KSBY that her daughter had mental health issues, recalling a time when she visited her daughter’s home when Melodee was a baby and found the home “in disarray” with rotten food in the fridge.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 805-681-4150. Tips can also be left anonymously at 805-681-4171 or at SBSheriff.org.
This story was originally published October 30, 2025 at 5:00 PM.
