The mother of missing nine-year-old Melodee Buzzard experienced a deeply traumatic childhood marked by an abusive father and periods of homelessness, newly uncovered court documents and newspaper archives reveal.
A Mother's Troubled Past
Ashlee Buzzard, the 40-year-old mother at the centre of the month-long search for her daughter, has become the subject of increasing scrutiny since Melodee's disappearance. The Vandenburg Village resident has consistently refused to disclose her daughter's whereabouts or provide explanations about their mysterious multi-state road trip through Nebraska, Colorado and Utah, from which she returned alone.
New evidence reveals that family fractures extend back decades, with Buzzard having filed a petition to emancipate herself from her mother, Lori Miranda, while in eleventh grade. The 2002 petition was ultimately denied due to improper completion, but it highlighted the strained relationship that would eventually see Buzzard cut contact with her wider family entirely.
Childhood Trauma and Homelessness
Documents from 1995 paint a distressing picture of Buzzard's early years. In a Santa Maria Times interview featuring a nine-year-old Ashlee Buzzard - who bore a striking resemblance to her now-missing daughter - her mother Lori Miranda described escaping an abusive husband.
Miranda told the newspaper that her former husband was 'physically, verbally and emotionally abusive' and would 'follow us everywhere, smash our windows and harass us.' The mother and daughter were forced into a nomadic existence to evade him, including a period living in a homeless shelter.
Despite their circumstances, Miranda expressed hope for a better future in the 1995 interview, noting she had enrolled Buzzard in school and found an apartment through odd jobs. 'I was able to save up some money from doing odd jobs and get an apartment,' she told the publication, though noted they shared the space with a roommate.
Current Legal Troubles and Disappearance
Buzzard now faces legal challenges unrelated to her daughter's disappearance. On Thursday, she appeared in Santa Maria, California court - the same venue that hosted Michael Jackson's 2005 child molestation trial - to be arraigned on a single count of false imprisonment.
The charge stems from an incident on November 6th, where Buzzard allegedly trapped paralegal Tyler Brewer inside her home and threatened him with a box cutter. Charging documents state she acted with 'violence, menace, fraud and deceit' and demonstrated 'planning, sophistication and professionalism.'
Brewer, who had known Buzzard since 2014 and had been checking on her since Melodee's disappearance, described the confrontation to the LA Times. 'Ms. Buzzard became visibly distressed after sharing information she appeared to regret disclosing,' he recounted. 'A box cutter was produced, and despite multiple requests to be allowed to exit the home, I was not immediately permitted to leave.'
During an appearance on News Nation's 'Banfield', Brewer revealed that the information Buzzard regretted sharing concerned Melodee's whereabouts in Utah, though he expressed uncertainty about its accuracy.
The Mysterious Road Trip
The timeline of Melodee's disappearance remains shrouded in mystery. The nine-year-old was last captured on security footage at a Santa Maria car rental outlet with her mother on October 7th. The pair drove away in a white Chevrolet Malibu with California licence plates, which Buzzard later swapped for New York plates during their journey.
Their route took them to Nebraska before returning through Kansas, Colorado and Utah. Authorities confirm the last verified sighting of Melodee occurred on October 10th at the Colorado-Utah border.
Security cameras subsequently captured the Chevrolet travelling along the I-15 through Utah, the northwestern corner of Arizona, past Las Vegas, and making a stop at Primm on the Nevada-California border. The vehicle was also spotted in Rancho Cucamonga, California before Buzzard returned alone to Vandenburg Village.
Investigators noted that during their travels, Melodee was wearing a wig that was straighter and darker than her natural hair.
Family Estrangement and Ongoing Search
Melodee's extended family have expressed growing concern, revealing that Buzzard had isolated herself and her daughter from relatives for over four years. Buzzard's mother, Lori Miranda, confirmed she hadn't seen or heard from either her daughter or granddaughter in that time.
Melodee's half-sister, Corinna Meza, 30, repeatedly attempted to contact Buzzard at her home following Melodee's reported disappearance on October 14th, but was consistently rebuffed.
Police, Child Welfare Services workers, and FBI agents have all visited Buzzard's property, with the FBI conducting a search last week and removing unspecified items. The home has since become an impromptu memorial, with neighbours creating homemade signs demanding Melodee's safe return and decorating the area with candles and pink flowers.
Buzzard, who appeared in court without her trademark wig, did not speak during the hearing and was released to her home under supervision. The search for nine-year-old Melodee continues as investigators piece together the circumstances surrounding her disappearance.
