Overview
- Buzzard entered the plea at her Santa Barbara County arraignment and will remain held without bail, with her attorney denying special allegations of lying in wait and discharging a firearm.
- Prosecutors said they will not seek the death penalty and will pursue a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
- Judge John McGregor approved a temporary gag order restricting statements by Sheriff Bill Brown and his staff, with a motion hearing set for Jan. 7.
- FBI DNA testing identified remains found in rural Wayne County, Utah, as Melodee’s, and ATF linked cartridge cases at that scene to an expended case recovered from Buzzard’s home; the firearm has not been found.
- Investigators cite surveillance of wigs and a license-plate swap during an Oct. 7–10 road trip; Melodee was last seen Oct. 9 near the Colorado–Utah border and her body was discovered Dec. 6 off State Route 24 with gunshot wounds to the head.