Overview
- Authorities said remains recovered in early December in Utah were confirmed by DNA to be those of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard.
- Ashlee Buzzard was taken into custody Tuesday and, according to the sheriff’s announcement, was arrested in her daughter’s murder case.
- Investigators believe Melodee died in October during a multistate trip, with her last confirmed sighting on Oct. 9 near the Colorado–Utah border.
- Detectives documented wigs and a temporary license-plate switch on the rented Chevrolet Malibu, and the FBI joined the investigation.
- Officials have not released a cause of death; the case remains active as agencies map the route and evaluate additional evidence.