Copyright independent
In a chilling new twist to the disappearance of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, investigators now believe her mother swapped out license plates on her rental car during a multi-state road trip in an attempt to avoid detection as her daughter vanished without a trace. Melodee and her mother, 35-year-old Ashlee Buzzard, left their Lompoc, California home on October 7 to embark on the three-day trip, going as far as Nebraska, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office. Surveillance images show Melodee, in what appeared to be a wig, alongside her mother at a rental car business that same day. The last confirmed sighting of Melodee came two days later, on October 9, near the Colorado-Utah border. In an update provided by officials on Monday, investigators said they believe Buzzard removed the California plate 9MNG101 from the white 2024 Chevrolet Malibu rental car and replaced it with a New York plate HCG9677 either on or before October 8 in order “to avoid detection.” It is unknown when the plate was installed or whether additional plates were used at other times during travel. The sheriff’s office also shared a map of the vehicle’s stops along Buzzard’s route back to California, which they believe took her through Green River, Utah; Panguitch, Utah; northwest Arizona; Primm, Nevada; and Rancho Cucamonga, California. Zeroing in on that crucial 24-hour window between October 9 and October 10, authorities urged anyone in those communities to check surveillance and report relevant information. On October 10, Buzzard returned home alone and when she returned the vehicle to the rental agency in Lompoc, the California plate was back in place. But Melodee was nowhere to be found. The discovery adds a new layer of mystery to the case as authorities work to piece together the final verified sightings of the girl. Melodee’s disappearance came to light on October 14, when a Lompoc school district official reported her “prolonged absence.” Deputies who went to the family’s home in Lompoc said they spoke with her mother, but “no verifiable explanation for [Melodee’s] whereabouts was provided,” according to the sheriff’s office. Buzzard has not cooperated with the investigation, they added. Last week, detectives escorted Buzzard from the property to another location “that would not interfere with their ability to conduct a thorough search,” the sheriff’s office said. Local authorities, assisted by the FBI, also searched a storage locker and a rental car believed to have been used on the multi-state road trip shortly before the child vanished. It is unclear if anything was found. Relatives on Melodee’s father’s side say they haven’t seen her in years. “She hasn’t let us see her for a few years,” Melodee’s aunt, Bridgett Truitt, told KEYT. “And all of us have tried. But we never stopped thinking about her or loving her or praying for her.” Melodee is described as 4 feet 6 inches tall, weighing about 60 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. She is considered at-risk due to her age and the length of her absence and remains classified as a missing person. No arrests have been made. Authorities have provided two phone numbers and a web address for anyone with information about Melodee’s whereabout: a Detectives Line: (805) 681-4150; an anonymous tips line: (805) 681-4171; and an online tips address: www.sbsheriff.org/home/anonymous-tip/.
