Overview
- Ashlee Buzzard, 40, was arrested Dec. 23 at the family’s Lompoc home and booked on a first-degree murder charge, with no bail set.
- Remains discovered Dec. 6 near Caineville in Wayne County, Utah, were identified Dec. 22 through FBI DNA testing as those of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard.
- Sheriff Bill Brown said Melodee died from gunshot wounds to the head.
- Detectives say cartridge casings at the Utah site match a casing from the Buzzard residence, and similar ammunition was found in the rented car, though no firearm has been recovered.
- The timeline centers on an Oct. 7–10 road trip during which surveillance showed wigs and a swapped New York plate, with Melodee last seen Oct. 9 near the Colorado–Utah border.