Overview
- The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office says Melodee was with her mother on Oct. 7 during a rented-car road trip that may have reached Nebraska, and the mother returned home without her.
- A white Chevrolet Malibu with license plate 9MNG101 was identified as the rental vehicle and has since been returned, according to investigators.
- The case was opened Oct. 14 after school officials reported Melodee’s year-long absence from an independent-study program, and she is classified as an at-risk missing juvenile.
- Search warrants at the Mars Avenue home and surrounding areas yielded no information on Melodee’s location, and her mother remains uncooperative with detectives.
- Authorities urge the public to submit tips rather than conduct independent searches, as community members post flyers and plan a candlelight vigil outside the family home.