(NewsNation) — Missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard was found dead, and her mother was arrested following a months-long effort by investigators.
Here’s a timeline of the case:
Oct. 7, 2025: According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, Melodee and her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, left their home in Lompoc, California, on a road trip.
Authorities released images of the pair at a rental car business that day, both of them wearing wigs.
Oct. 8: Buzzard allegedly swapped license plates on the rental, removing the California plate number 9MNG101 and replacing it with New York license plate number HCG9677.
It’s not clear whether other plates may have been used on the vehicle during the trip.
Oct. 9: The last verified sighting of Melodee came on Oct. 9, when surveillance video showed her with her mother near the Colorado-Utah border.
A timeline from the sheriff’s office indicates they believe that Melodee was killed shortly after.
Investigators believe Buzzard traveled through Green River, Utah; Panguitch, Utah; northwest Arizona; Primm, Nevada; and Rancho Cucamonga, California, on her return route.
Oct. 10: Ashlee Buzzard returns home with the car, which had the original license plate back on when it was returned, but without Melodee.
Oct. 14: School officials report Melodee’s “extended absence” to authorities, prompting the investigation.
In August, Buzzard reportedly visited the Mission Valley Independent School with Melodee to enroll her in an independent study program after homeschooling her for the last few years.
After the duo failed to pick up assignments, a district administrator notified authorities.
Oct. 15: Investigators conducted an initial search of Buzzard’s home. Early on in the case, investigators noted that she was not cooperative.
Oct. 30: Buzzard’s home is searched again, along with a storage unit and the rented Chevrolet Malibu. An expended cartridge case was found in the home, and a live round of similar ammunition was found in the car.
Nov. 6: Tyler Brewer, a man who reached out to Buzzard to offer help, said he was held against his will in her home after she became upset about information she told him.
He said Buzzard was armed with a box cutter, and there were multiple locks on the door.
Nov. 7: Ashlee Buzzard was arrested for false imprisonment.
Nov. 12: Buzzard pleaded not guilty to false imprisonment and was released with a GPS monitor and list of conditions.
Nov. 20: The false imprisonment charge was dropped during a preliminary hearing.
Dec. 6: A man and woman contact authorities in Wayne County, Utah, after finding a decomposed body while taking photos in a rural area.
Dec 8: Utah authorities contacted the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office about the remains. Authorities say the victim died from a gunshot wound to the head.
Dec. 17: Authorities linked a cartridge case found at the scene in Utah to one recovered from Buzzard’s home.
Dec. 22: The FBI crime lab used familial DNA to link the remains to Ashlee Buzzard.
Dec. 23: Ashlee Buzzard is arrested for allegedly killing her daughter Melodee.