A Mysterious Road Trip, A Young Girl In A Wig: New Clues Emerge In Melodee Buzzard's Disappearance - Beritaja

A Southern California mother rented a car this period and drove her 9-year-old girl halfway crossed the country, to Nebraska.

Three days later she returned location alone, and has since refused to reply questions about the girl’s whereabouts.

Now, Ashlee Buzzard’s roadworthy travel has go the cardinal attraction of the FBI’s and Santa Barbara County Sheriff Office’s hunt for her missing daughter, Melodee.

Authorities judge Buzzard near the Lompoc area pinch her girl connected Oct. 7, drove to Nebraska, and past returned to her Vandenberg Village location connected Oct. 10, passing done Kansas on the way. The three-day travel would person crossed about 3,000 miles and required about 48 hours of driving, according to Google Maps.

Sheriff’s detectives are continuing their hunt for Melodee Buzzard.

(Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office)

On Friday, the Sheriff’s Office released caller surveillance camera photos of Melodee that were captured astatine a California car rental business connected Oct. 7.

“In the photo, Melodee is wearing a hooded sweatshirt pinch the hood pulled up and what appears to beryllium a wig that is darker and straighter than her earthy hair,” the agency said. “Investigators judge the wig whitethorn person been utilized to change her appearance.”

Authorities opportunity Buzzard, who was besides known to deterioration wigs, rented a achromatic Chevrolet Malibu pinch the licence sheet 9MNG101.

Anyone who whitethorn person seen her aliases her girl during their travel is asked to interaction the Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff’s detectives released an updated timeline and precocious obtained surveillance images arsenic they proceed their hunt for missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard.

(Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office)

“Our detectives are pursuing each lead successful this case. We proceed to activity accusation from the nationalist that could thief america find Melodee,” Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said successful a statement. “We stay wished to bring her location safely.”

Melodee was discovered missing connected Oct. 14 aft the Lompoc Unified School District contacted the Sheriff’s Office to study the girl’s prolonged absence from her independent study program. Detectives visited her location that day, but Melodee was obscurity to beryllium seen and Buzzard refused to cooperate pinch their investigation, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

Buzzard has not responded to The Times’ requests for comment.

Initially, the Sheriff’s Office was incapable to corroborate immoderate sightings of Melodee wrong the past year. The FBI joined the investigation connected Oct. 18 and 2 days later the Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Melodee was seen arsenic precocious arsenic Oct. 7.

She is described arsenic 4’6” tall, weighing about 60 pounds, pinch brownish hairsbreadth and brownish eyes.

A poster pinch the phrase, “Where is Melodee,” hangs extracurricular the Vandenberg Village location wherever her mother Ashlee Buzzard lives.

(Courtesy of Lizabeth Meza)

Relatives connected Melodee’s father’s broadside declare that Buzzard has refused to fto them sojourn the girl. Melodee’s father, Rubiell Meza, died successful a 2016 motorcycle mishap soon aft she was born.

“She hasn’t fto america spot her for a fewer years,” Melodee’s aunt Bridgett Truitt told local news position KEYT. “And each of america person tried. But we ne'er stopped reasoning about her aliases loving her aliases praying for her.”

Meza’s family is holding a vigil for Melodee extracurricular of her Vandenberg Village location connected Friday evening to believe for her safe return. Votive candles and posters of Melodee person been group up connected the thoroughfare complete the past week.

“I americium horrified for my small niece, I can’t ideate what she’s gone through,” Melodee’s aunt Vicky Shade told The Times. “This does not sound good. I conscionable want to cognize if she’s OK. We request to find her.”

Anyone pinch accusation is asked to interaction the Sheriff’s Office astatine (805) 681-4150. Tips could besides beryllium near anonymously astatine (805) 681-4171 aliases astatine SBSheriff.org.