Missing Melodee Buzzard’s body found, girl’s mother taken into custody: report

California authorities are set to announce "major developments" in the disappearance of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard after her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, was taken into custody in connection with the investigation, the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office and Sheriff’s Office confirmed to Fox News Digital.

Multiple sources told ABC News that Melodee’s body was found in early December in Utah, in an area where investigators believe she and her mother traveled in October. Authorities believe the 9-year-old was killed and was likely already dead before she was reported missing, the sources said.

According to ABC News, Ashlee Buzzard was taken into custody following DNA results that linked her to the recovered remains. Officials have not yet publicly confirmed those details, and Fox News Digital has reached out to authorities for additional comment.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said the developments will be detailed during a news conference at 2 p.m. local time Tuesday.

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Ashlee Buzzard, left, the mother of Melodee Buzzard, right, is seen in a surveillance image taken at a rental car business in Lompoc, Calif., on Oct. 7, 2025. (Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office)

Buzzard, 35, had previously been in custody on an unrelated felony false-imprisonment charge, and officials have not yet disclosed how the new development directly ties to the missing child case.

Melodee, who authorities had described as "at-risk," was last seen on Oct. 7 while traveling with her mother after the pair left California in a rented Chevrolet Malibu. 

CHARGE AGAINST MELODEE BUZZARD’S MOM DISMISSED, ANKLE MONITOR REMOVED AS FBI HUNTS FOR MISSING 9-YEAR-OLD

Melodee Buzzard was reported missing on Oct. 14, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office. (Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office and FBI)

Investigators say the vehicle traveled through multiple states before being returned, and authorities believe its license plates were temporarily swapped during the trip.

The Sheriff’s Office said it began investigating Melodee’s disappearance on Oct. 14 after a school official reported her prolonged absence.

Ashlee Buzzard sits with her attorney at the defense table during testimony in court. (Jamie Vera/Fox News)

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Deputies have said Buzzard failed to provide a verifiable explanation for her daughter’s location and remained uncooperative in confirming Melodee’s welfare.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. 

Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to [email protected].