Overview
- Authorities say a couple found Melodee Buzzard’s body on Dec. 6 off State Route 24 in Wayne County, Utah, with the FBI confirming a DNA match on Dec. 22.
- Ashlee Buzzard, 40, was arrested on Dec. 23 and booked on a first-degree murder charge; she is being held without bail, according to the sheriff.
- Detectives report a spent casing from the Buzzard home matched casings at the Utah scene and similar rounds were found in a rented car, though no firearm has been recovered.
- The investigation centers on an Oct. 7–10 road trip traced through several states, with the last confirmed sighting of Melodee on Oct. 9 near the Utah–Colorado border.
- Officials documented alleged evasion tactics including wigs and a temporary license plate swap, and the case began after a school reported the child’s prolonged absence on Oct. 14.