Copyright Newsweek
Investigators have narrowed down their timeline in their search for missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard. Authorities have been looking into what has happened to Melodee Buzzard since October 14, after a school administrator reported she had been absent from school for an extended period and she was not found at her home. Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office said in a statement on Friday it had narrowed down the relevant timeline to a three-day road trip that her mother, 35-year-old Ashlee Buzzard, went on between October 7 and 10. It also released surveillance photos that showed Buzzard appearing to wear a wig at a car-rental business on October 7. Newsweek contacted the sheriff's office via email outside of regular office hours on Tuesday. Why It Matters The case of continues to draw national attention as law enforcement agencies intensify their search and share new surveillance images suggesting deliberate attempts to disguise her appearance. The FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office and the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office are urging the public’s help, signaling the urgency and seriousness of the situation involving a minor whose whereabouts have been unknown since early October. What To Know The timeline has been narrowed to between October 7 and 10, during which investigators have said Ashlee Buzzard drove from Lompoc, California, to Nebraska and back, returning on October 10 without her daughter. The return trip also included time in Kansas. Law enforcement is focused on tracing Melodee's whereabouts during these three days. The FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office is assisting in the case. Detectives in Santa Barbara County, California, also released new surveillance images as part of their continued search for Melodee Buzzard, who was last seen on October 7. The images were captured at a Lompoc car--rental business, detectives said, and show Melodee wearing a hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled up. She was wearing "what appears to be a wig that is darker and straighter than her natural hair," the sheriff's office said on Friday. “Investigators believe the wig may have been used to alter her appearance,” but they also noted that her mother is known to wear wigs. Authorities began investigating Melodee’s absence on October 14 after a school administrator reported she had not attended classes or picked up assignments for an extended period. When deputies visited the family’s home on Mars Avenue in Lompoc, they encountered Ashlee Buzzard, but Melodee was not present and “no verifiable explanation for Melodee Buzzard’s whereabouts was provided," the sheriff's office said. “At this stage, Ashlee (Buzzard) remains uncooperative and has not provided any information about Melodee’s current location or welfare,” detectives said in a previous statement on October 22. What People Are Saying Sheriff Bill Brown said on October 24: “Our detectives are following every lead in this case. We continue to seek information from the public that could help us find Melodee. We remain determined to bring her home safely.” What Happens Next Law enforcement continues to urge anyone with information regarding Melodee Buzzard’s disappearance or current location to contact the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office at (805) 681-4150, the anonymous tip line at (805) 681-4171, or submit tips online at SBSheriff.org.
