Aunt Believes New Photos Show Missing Girl Melodee Buzzard, Mother Uncooperative

New Photos of Missing Child Melodee Buzzard

• 📸 New photos released by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office show missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard at a car rental business on October 7th.
• 🕵️ Investigators believe Melodee may be wearing a wig in the photo, possibly to conceal her identity, as her mother, Ashley Buzzard, is known to wear wigs.
• 👨‍👧‍👦 Melodee's aunt, Lizabeth Meza, believes the child in the photo resembles Melodee, noting the nose is similar to her late father's, despite not having seen her niece in 4.5 years.

Mother's Lack of Cooperation and Family History

• ✈️ Melodee was last seen on a road trip with her mother, Ashley, from October 7th to October 10th, returning to Santa Barbara County without her daughter.
• 🚫 Ashley Buzzard has been uncooperative with police and has not provided an explanation for her daughter's whereabouts.
• 💔 The family has had limited contact with Melodee since her father's death, with Ashley Buzzard's mental health declining and leading to her cutting off contact with most of the family.
• 🏠 Relatives have previously expressed concerns about Ashley's well-being, noting she appeared unwell and left quickly during a rare visit with her mother-in-law.

Child Protective Services and Investigation Status

• ❓ Relatives question the role of Child Protective Services (CPS), citing reports of rotting food in the fridge and a lack of intervention.
• 🗣️ CPS informed the aunt they could not disclose information due to an active investigation but asked if she had heard from Ashley or Melodee.
• 📰 Shortly after speaking with CPS, the aunt saw a missing person post on Facebook, indicating the investigation was ongoing.
• FBI involvement was mentioned, and a detective confirmed they were working on leads and apologized for delayed communication.