> At a Glance
> – Ashlee Buzzard, 40, entered a not-guilty plea to first-degree murder
> – Melodee Buzzard, 9, was found with gunshot wounds to her head in Utah earlier this month
> – Prosecutors will not seek the death penalty
> – Why it matters: The case spotlights a road-trip disappearance, a mother’s custody history, and a family left demanding harsher punishment
A not-guilty plea from a Lompoc mother has left relatives reeling after detectives identified her 9-year-old daughter’s body in Utah, ending a two-month search that began when the pair set out on an October road trip.
Timeline of Events
- October: Ashlee and Melodee Buzzard leave on a road trip bound for Nebraska; the girl is not seen again
- Earlier this month: Human remains are discovered in Utah; investigators link them to the missing-child case
- This week: Ashlee Buzzard is arrested and, on Friday, pleads not guilty to first-degree murder
Custody Questions
Relatives on the girl’s paternal side told News Of Los Angeles they once cared for Melodee.
Marvin Meza, the child’s uncle:
> “We had custody of her in 2020. Then Ashlee regained weekend visits and, eventually, full custody.”
Meza says his family had not seen Melodee for five years and knew little about Ashlee:
> “I never really talked to her … I can’t say I know anything about that lady.”
News Of Los Angeles has not independently verified the custody claims.
Family Reaction
Lilly Denes, Melodee’s paternal grandmother, occasionally sent Ashlee money and never sensed danger:
> “I told my son, ‘She’s different … something’s wrong,’ but he said she was just quiet.”
Both relatives voiced dismay that prosecutors ruled out capital punishment.
Denes: “We’re going day by day.”
Meza: “What she did is despicable … for what she did, it should be a lot worse.”
Next Court Date
Ashlee Buzzard is due back in court on January 7.
Key Takeaways
- A 9-year-old girl found shot in Utah had been missing since an October road trip with her mother
- The mother now faces a first-degree-murder charge but will not face the death penalty
- Relatives who once had custody say they lost contact years ago and want stricter punishment
