Ashlee Buzzard’s alleged statements about leaving her daughter, Melodee, with strangers at a Utah zoo have raised red flags among law enforcement. While she initially claimed the child was with a couple she met at the zoo, the story has since been questioned due to inconsistencies in her travel logs, including a rental car with a fake license plate. These discrepancies, combined with the mother’s refusal to provide clear information about Melodee’s whereabouts, have led investigators to consider the possibility that the narrative was fabricated. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the investigation into Melodee’s disappearance was officially opened on October 14 after a school administrator flagged her prolonged absence.
During an interview with NewsNation, Ashley Buzzard allegedly confessed to leaving Melodee with a Utah couple she met at a zoo, but the story was met with skepticism from the man who accused her of holding him captive. According to the man, Buzzard appeared to regret the information she shared and later became visibly distressed as she refused to let him leave her home, even pulling out a box cutter in the process. A court officer, Tyler Brewer, said he was unsure if the details about Melodee’s location were truthful and that the mother has been evasive in her answers, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the case. The mother was later charged with felony false imprisonment but had the charge dismissed during a November 20 court hearing.
Authorities have pointed out that Buzzard’s cross-country trip with Melodee was allegedly carried out at the behest of individuals she barely knows. According to Brewer, Buzzard claimed Melodee needed to be temporarily relocated due to an outpatient surgery, but this explanation has not been verified. Surveillance footage from a rental car in Lompoc, California, revealed that both Buzzard and Melodee appeared to be wearing wigs, further complicating the narrative. Detectives believe that the Chevrolet Malibu, the car they were traveling in, was equipped with a false license plate, suggesting attempts to evade detection. The car was later returned to a rental agency, but the original California license plate was allegedly reattached, raising questions about the authenticity of the trip’s details.
Buzzard left California with her daughter on October 7, traveling as far as Nebraska and Kansas, before the car’s license plate was switched to a New York plate, which was not known to belong to Buzzard. The New York plate may have been used as a decoy to mislead investigators. The rental car’s route is believed to have passed through California, Arizona, Utah, and Nevada, with Melodee likely being separated from her mother during this journey. Melodee is described as 4 feet to 4 feet 6 inches tall with brown curly hair and brown eyes, and she remains missing as of this report. Authorities have not yet found any conclusive evidence of her current location, though the investigation continues with renewed urgency.