The mother of a missing 9-year-old California girl appeared Thursday in court, where a felony false imprisonment charge filed against her in a separate case was dismissed, her attorney said.
Authorities have said Ashlee Buzzard, 40, has been uncooperative in the search for her daughter, Melodee Buzzard, who was last seen early last month on a road trip with her mother.
Ashlee Buzzard was charged with false imprisonment in a separate case on Nov. 10 by the Santa Barbara District Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors said that charge was in connection with a Nov. 6 incident in the California city of Lompoc. Buzzard pleaded not guilty to the charge last week.
The charge stemmed from the claims of a man named Tyler Brewer, who, along with a Santa Barbara County sheriff’s detective, testified in court Thursday, according to Buzzard’s defense attorney, Adrian Galvan.
Brewer testified that he and Buzzard shared a mutual friend from 10 years ago. In late October, he reached out to Buzzard and “presented himself as a legal professional” by sending her a letter on professional legal letterhead, prompting communications between the two, Galvan told NBC News.
He told the court that he made five visits to Buzzard’s home from Nov. 1 to 6 after having reached out to her and offered assistance, NBC affiliate KSBY of San Luis Obispo reported.
The evening of Nov. 6, Brewer said, he felt threatened while at her home, she had a box cutter, and he wasn’t allowed to leave, KSBY reported.
The detective was asked questions on cross-examination that challenged Brewer’s credibility, Galvan said.
“From the defense’s perspective, Tyler presented himself with the aura of honesty, trustworthiness and confidentiality, and what came out was Tyler Brewer was simultaneously speaking to Ashlee and divulging information to law enforcement,” Galvan said.
Ultimately, Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Stephen Dunkle dismissed the charge. With the dismissal, Buzzard is no longer under electronic monitoring, he said.
Meanwhile, the search for Melodee continues.
The investigation started Oct. 14 after a school administrator reported Melodee’s prolonged absence. Investigators tried to contact the child and Buzzard at their Lompoc home, but Melodee was not there, and there was “no clear explanation” for her whereabouts, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said.
Melodee and her mother were captured on video Oct. 7 at a rental car location in Lompoc, both seen wearing wigs, before they embarked on a road trip together. Melodee was last seen with her mother on Oct. 9 on video in the region of the Colorado-Utah border, the sheriff’s office said.
They left California and traveled as far as Nebraska, with a return trip that included Kansas, officials said.
They traveled in a rented white 2024 Chevrolet Malibu with a California license plate, which was swapped for a New York license plate. By the time the vehicle was returned to the Lompoc rental agency, the original California plate was back on.
The sheriff’s office released a route map of that road trip. It believes the vehicle went through the areas of Green River and Panguitch in Utah; northwest Arizona; Primm, Nevada; and Rancho Cucamonga, California, on or around Oct. 9.
Officials ask businesses, gas stations and community members in those areas to review video from Oct. 9 to 10 for any potential sightings of the pair.
Officials said Buzzard “has been uncooperative with investigators” and “has not confirmed Melodee’s location or welfare.”
Search warrants have been served at Buzzard’s home, as well as a storage locker and the rental car she used.
Melodee is described as 4 feet, 6 inches tall, 60 pounds, with brown curly hair and brown eyes.
Anyone who has seen Melodee or has information about her whereabouts is asked to contact the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
