In a chilling new development, investigators say the mother of missing nine-year-old Melodee Buzzard may have swapped out license plates on a rental car during a multi-state road trip — a possible attempt to evade detection as her daughter vanished somewhere between California and the Utah border.

Melodee Has Been Missing For Nearly A Month

Melodee was last seen on October 9 near the Colorado-Utah state line, two days after leaving Lompoc, California, with her mother, 35-year-old Ashlee Buzzard. According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, the pair set out on October 7 in a rented white 2024 Chevrolet Malibu. Surveillance footage from that day shows Melodee, apparently wearing a wig, standing beside her mother at the rental car agency.

Her Mom Swapped Plates Before The Trip

Authorities believe Buzzard replaced the California license plate (9MNG101) with a New York plate (HCG9677) sometime on or before October 8. Investigators say the swap appears to have been an effort “to avoid detection” as the two traveled across state lines. The last confirmed sighting of Melodee came the next day, October 9. By October 10, Buzzard had returned the rental car — and returned home alone. The California plate was back on the vehicle. Her daughter was gone. When Buzzard returned the car, there was no record of Melodee accompanying her. Four days later, on October 14, a school official in Lompoc reported the child’s prolonged absence. Deputies went to the Buzzard home, where Ashlee Buzzard refused to provide a verifiable explanation for her daughter’s whereabouts. She has not cooperated with investigators since.

Authorities Are Searching Across The Country

This week, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office released a detailed map of the car’s return route, which traced Buzzard’s path through Green River and Panguitch, Utah; northwest Arizona; Primm, Nevada; and Rancho Cucamonga, California. Investigators are now asking residents and business owners along that route to review surveillance footage from October 9 to 10 and to contact authorities with any information.

Buzzard’s Family Hasn’t Seen Her In Years

Buzzard was later escorted from her home “to a location that would not interfere” with ongoing searches, according to the sheriff’s office. The FBI has joined local authorities in examining multiple sites, including a storage locker and the rental car used during the trip. Officials have not disclosed what, if anything, was found. Family members on Melodee’s father’s side say they haven’t seen the girl in years. “She hasn’t let us see her for a few years,” Melodee’s aunt, Bridgett Truitt, told KEYT. “And all of us have tried. But we never stopped thinking about her or loving her or praying for her.” Melodee Buzzard is described as 4 feet 6 inches tall, weighing about 60 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. She is considered at-risk due to her age and the length of her disappearance. Anyone with information about Melodee’s whereabouts is urged to contact detectives at (805) 681-4150, the anonymous tip line at (805) 681-4171, or submit information online at http://www.sbsheriff.org/home/anonymous-tip/.