California authorities trying to track down missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard now say she was last spotted in August 2025, after initially saying she hadn't been seen since October 2024.
Even though the timeline is tighter, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office is still urging the public to help find Melodee, as the department has not received any verified information about her current whereabouts.
The search for Melodee was sparked on Tuesday when a school official reported her "prolonged absence," the sheriff's office said. Although Melodee has been homeschooled for "at least for a couple of years," the local Lompoc Unified School District worked with investigators to help narrow down the timeline of when she was seen, according to the sheriff's office.
"Lompoc Unified School District deserves credit for recognizing that something wasn't right, reaching out, and continuing to assist with this investigation," Lt. Chris Gotschall of the sheriff's office said on Monday. "This important update helps narrow a significant gap in the timeline of when she was last known to be seen, and because of that, we're closer to understanding what happened to Melodee."
When deputies first responded to the little girl's home this week, Melodee and her mom, Ashlee Buzzard, weren't there, and "no clear explanation was provided" for where Melodee was, the sheriff's office said. On Wednesday night, deputies returned to the home and Ashlee Buzzard was there, but Melodee was not, sheriff's spokesperson Raquel Zick told ABC News.
Ashlee Buzzard is not cooperating, the sheriff's office told ABC News on Friday.
No one else lives at the house, Zick said, noting that Melodee's father is deceased. Law enforcement executed a search warrant on the home on Wednesday night, Zick said.
Melodee's disappearance is considered a missing person investigation, Zick said on Thursday. Law enforcement is in touch with neighbors as well as Child Welfare Services, she said.
"I think it definitely does warrant being called suspicious," Zick said.
Although the sheriff's office said Melodee is homeschooled, a California Department of Education spokesperson said there's no record of Ashlee Buzzard filing an annual private school affidavit, which is a requirement for homeschooling.
"Per state law, the CDE does not assess or physically inspect private or homeschools," the spokesperson said. "Filing an annual affidavit is the only thing that is required."
"We hope Melodee is found safe," the spokesperson added.
Anyone with information can call the sheriff's department at 805-681-4150 or can submit a tip anonymously at 805-681-4171 or SBSheriff.org.