Melodee Buzzard’s mom plotted to ‘cut off’ missing 9-year-old from ‘entire world,’ grandma says

The grandma of missing Melodee Buzzard says she was successful the process of adopting the kid erstwhile the 9-year-old's parent "took her away" soon aft being released from a intelligence infirmary successful 2021.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office opened an probe into Melodee’s whereabouts connected Oct. 14 aft a schoolhouse head reported she hadn’t attended for a "prolonged" period. Deputies said her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, could not supply a verifiable mentation for the girl’s location.

Authorities said that Ashlee has "remained uncooperative and has not confirmed Melodee’s determination oregon welfare." Melodee is considered missing and "at risk" by the sheriff's office, which is receiving assistance from the FBI to find the missing girl.

In an interrogation with Fox News Digital, Melodee’s paternal grandmother, Lilly Denes, said societal services contacted her portion Ashlee was successful a intelligence infirmary and asked if she would instrumentality successful Melodee to debar foster care.

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Ashlee Buzzard, left, the parent of Melodee Buzzard, right, is seen successful a surveillance representation taken astatine a rental car concern successful Lompoc, Calif., connected Oct. 7, 2025. (Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office)

Denes did — and started the adoption process — but said that successful 2021, Ashlee "took her distant from us" aft picking her up from schoolhouse pursuing her merchandise from the intelligence hospital.

"We were truthful blessed erstwhile societal services called america and told america that they were gonna spot the babe with us. You know, we were truthful happy," Denes said. "That woman is mentally sick bad."

Since then, the grandma said she hasn’t been allowed to spot Melodee, adding that Ashlee chopped the miss disconnected "from the full world." Denes said Ashlee "cut off" Melodee from her full family.

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Melodee Buzzard is shown present successful a photograph that the FBI says was taken successful 2023. (FBI)

The grandma said she got a weird feeling astir Ashlee from the 2nd they met.

"When I met her, my lad brought her to the house. She looked truthful quiescent and she was pursuing maine with her eyes backmost and forth, and I told my son: 'Son, is this miss OK? She doesn't look similar she's normal," Denes said. "Something's incorrect with this lady."

She described Melodee arsenic a "very blessed baby, ever smiling, precise smart."

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The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office released a caller representation of Melodee Buzzard "captured astatine a section car rental concern connected October 7." (Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office )

"I cognize that possibly idiosyncratic retired determination successful the satellite knows wherever my babe is. Somebody has to know," Denes said.

According to authorities, Ashlee near California with her 9-year-old girl connected Oct. 7 and traveled arsenic acold arsenic Nebraska successful a Chevrolet Malibu bearing a California licence plate, with the instrumentality travel including Kansas.

On Oct. 8, the Malibu was seen with a New York licence plate. Detectives said the New York sheet doesn't beryllium to Ashlee, and they deliberation it was utilized arsenic a "false oregon switched sheet to debar detection." When the car was returned to the rental car bureau successful California, the archetypal licence sheet was allegedly placed backmost connected the car.

CAR USED BY MISSING CALIFORNIA GIRL'S MOM ON ROAD TRIP HAD LICENSE PLATES SWAPPED TO 'AVOID DETECTION'

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office said "Melodee is wearing a hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled up and what appears to beryllium a wig that is darker and straighter than her earthy hair," and that, "investigators judge the wig whitethorn person been utilized to change her appearance."  (Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office)

Detectives judge the Malibu traveled done respective areas betwixt California, Arizona, Utah and Nevada connected oregon astir Oct. 9.

"Somewhere on that way is wherever we cognize Ashlee was nary longer with Melodee," Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Raquel Zick told KUTV.

Investigators antecedently released surveillance video from a rental car determination successful Lompoc, California, showing Ashlee and Melodee Buzzard seemingly some wearing wigs.

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Investigators accidental Ashlee and Melodee Buzzard were connected a roadworthy travel erstwhile the young miss disappeared. (Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office)

"The footage corresponds to antecedently released inactive images and shows some Ashlee and Melodee wearing wigs. Investigators besides judge that Ashlee swapped wigs passim the trip, changing to a darker wig that is akin successful colour and benignant to the 1 Melodee was seen wearing. This alteration successful quality is believed to person been intentional to debar designation during travel," the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office said.

On Nov. 7, Ashlee was charged with mendacious imprisonment aft allegedly holding a antheral captive. She was released from jailhouse nether respective conditions, which see wearing a GPS monitor.

Tyler Brewer, who said he's a tribunal officer, said successful a connection that Ashlee "became visibly distressed aft sharing accusation she appeared to regret disclosing," pulled retired a container cutter, locked the doors to her location and refused to fto him leave, ABC News reported.

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WATCH: Ashlee and Melodee Buzzard astatine the rental car location

Brewer told NewsNation that Ashlee told him wherever Melodee was located and who she was with. However, Brewer said helium has concerns if the accusation Ashlee told him was true.

Melodee is described by officials arsenic 4-feet to 4-feet, 6-inches tall, 60 to 100 pounds, with brownish curly hairsbreadth and brownish eyes.

Individuals with accusation related to Melodee's whereabouts are asked to interaction (805) 681-4150.

Fox News Digital has reached retired to Ashlee's lawyer for comment.