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For about three weeks, 9-year-old Melody Buzzard has gone missing – and the mystery surrounding her disappearance takes a new turn FBI Agents searched the family’s California home.
On Thursday, detectives moved Melody’s mother, 35-year-old Ashley Buzzard, from the property to another location “that would not interfere with their ability to conduct a thorough search,” The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.
Local authorities, with assistance from the FBI, also searched a storage locker and a rental car believed to have been used on a multi-state road trip that the mother and daughter took shortly before the child disappeared.
Melody was discovered missing on October 14, when a Lompoc School District official reported her “prolonged absence”.
Deputies who visited the family home in Lompoc said they spoke to Ashley, but “there is no verifiable explanation for this”. [Melodee’s] Location provided,” according to the Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators now believe she was last seen a week earlier on October 7 and that her mother may have taken her to Nebraska. Surveillance photos released last week show the missing girl possibly in disguise.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said photos of the girl — her hood pulled tightly, her hair hidden beneath a dark wig — were taken at a Lompoc car rental business on Oct. 7, just days before her disappearance.
Investigators have narrowed the key timeframe to October 7 through October 10, when Buzzard is believed to have driven from Lompoc to Nebraska and back in a white Chevrolet Malibu rental car. The rental car is no longer in the mother’s possession.
“Investigators understand that this three-day road trip went from Lompoc to the Nebraska area, with the return trip also including the state of Kansas,” the sheriff’s office said last week. “Detectives are now focused on determining where Melody was during those three days and where she may be now.”
Investigators believe the wig seen in the photos may have been used to alter the child’s appearance. She also said that Ashley is known for wearing wigs. Police said the mother was uncooperative and did not provide any information about her daughter’s whereabouts.
Melody is considered at risk due to her age and the length of her absence.
Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said, “Our detectives are following every lead in this case. We are continuing to seek information from the public that can help us find Melody.” “We are committed to bringing him home safely.”
Relatives from Melody’s father’s side say that they have not seen her for many years. Local authorities say there have been no confirmed sightings of the melody within the past year.
“She hasn’t let us see her for a few years,” Melody’s aunt Bridget Truitt told KEYT. “And we’ve all tried. But we never stop thinking about him or loving him or praying for him.”
“The Sheriff’s Office shares the community’s concern for Melody’s safety and is committed to bringing her home,” Sheriff Brown said. “We hope Melody may be with someone – perhaps a family member or friend – who may not know the circumstances of her disappearance.”
Melody is described as being 4 feet 6 inches tall, weighing approximately 60 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.
“We appreciate the FBI’s assistance in today’s searches,” Sheriff’s Lt. Chris Gottschall of the Criminal Investigations Division said in a Thursday press release.
“In cases like this, every detail counts and having additional resources and specialized expertise is invaluable. Collaboration with our federal partners allows us to ensure we are using every available tool to help bring this case to resolution.”
This case remains a missing persons investigation. No arrest has been made in the case.
Anyone with information about the child’s disappearance or location is encouraged to contact detectives at (805) 681-4150 or use an anonymous tip line at (805) 681-4171. The public can also submit tips online at SBSheriff.org.