NEED TO KNOW
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said Melodee Buzzard, 9, has not been seen for a year, and the child’s most recent photo was taken two years ago
A school official reported Melodee’s prolonged absence, prompting an investigation on Oct. 14
Deputies visited the home and did not find the girl
Authorities in California are searching for a missing “at-risk” young girl who hasn’t been seen in a year.
In a Wednesday, Oct. 15, news bulletin, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said it is seeking the public’s help in determining the whereabouts of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard.
According to authorities, their investigation began on Tuesday, Oct. 14, after a school official reported Melodee’s prolonged absence.
The sheriff’s office added that deputies attempted to reach the child and her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, at their home on Mars Avenue. However, Melodee and her mom were not at the residence and “no clear explanation was provided” for Melodee’s whereabouts, ABC News reported.
When the deputies returned to the home on Wednesday evening, they found Ashlee present but not Melodee, according to ABC News, which reported that no other person lived at the home. Sheriff’s office spokesperson Raquel Zick did not share what Ashlee said to investigators at the time.
The sheriff’s office said the last verified contact with Melodee took place a year ago, and the most recent photo of the child was taken two years ago, when she was 7.
“We do need the public’s help, because we have a giant, one-year segment of this child’s life that we can’t account for,” Zick told ABC News. “We can’t say where she’s been for the past year, and we really need some help with that.”
According to the sheriff’s office, Melodee was homeschooled and had not checked in since October 2024, ABC News reported. However, a California Department of Education spokesperson told the outlet that there is no record of Melodee’s mother filing a yearly private school affidavit, which is necessary for homeschooling.
“This is not a homicide investigation — it is an at-risk missing juvenile case,” Zick told ABC News, adding, “I think it definitely does warrant being called suspicious.”
Anyone who has seen Melodee or had contact with her in the last year is encouraged to call sheriff’s detectives at (805) 681-4150 or an anonymous tip line at (805) 681-4171, or submit information online at SBSheriff.org.
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“Even small details may be critical in helping investigators ensure her safety,” the sheriff’s office said in their news bulletin.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
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