BIZARRE DISAPPEARANCE OF GIRL MELODEE, 9, FAMILY WORRIED
Crime Stories with Nancy Grace
iHeartPodcasts and CrimeOnline
4.2 • 8.1K Ratings
🗓️ 20 October 2025
⏱️ 43 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Santa Barbara sheriffs have been desperately searching for now 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard for quite some time. The only photo authorities have of Melodee is over two years old, as the little girl is ‘homeschooled’ in Vandenberg Village, just north of Lompoc.
California.
Santa Barbara Sheriff's deputies attempt a welfare check but find no one at Ashlee Buzzard’s. home. Officers return the next day, finally making contact with Melodee’s mom. Melodee is not at home, and according to the Sheriff’s office, Buzzard cannot provide a “clear explanation” of Melodee’s whereabouts.
Melodee is just six months old when her father passes away in a car crash. Melodee is described as a very sweet and loving little girl, who loves spending time with her cousins and flashing her beautiful smile.
Ashlee Buzzard raises her daughter on her own and slowly pulls away from family. Melodee’s father’s family hasn’t seen the little girl in years.
Anyone with information is asked to call Santa Barbara Sheriffs at 805-681-4150.
Joining Nancy Grace today:
- Lizabeth Meza - Aunt of Melodee Buzzard
- Lauren Johnson-Norris - Defense Attorney specializing in juvenile, and CPS cases in Orange County, California), Founder of Johnson Criminal Law Group
- Dr. Bethany Marshall - Psychoanalyst, Author: "Deal Breaker," and featured in hit show "Paris in Love" on Peacock; Instagram & TikTok: drbethanymarshall, X: @DrBethanyLive
- Bill Garcia - Owner of Bill Garcia Investigative Services, Facebook: Bill Garcia Investigative Services, Instagram @BGISInternational
- Rhonda Dequier - Founder, Missing In Action Network, an advocacy program for the families of missing persons
- Alexis Tereszcuk - Crimeonline.com Investigative Reporter;
- Sydney Sumner - Investigative Reporter, 'Crime Stories'
- Raquel Zick - PIO for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office in California
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is an IHeart podcast. |
| 0:04.8 | Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. |
| 0:10.6 | The bizarre disappearance of a little girl, Melody, just nine years old. |
| 0:18.0 | Melody has not been seen in a year, but only just reported missing. I'm Nancy |
| 0:26.6 | Grace. This is Crime Stories. I want to thank you for being with us. Little Melody Buzzard, |
| 0:31.8 | just nine years old, lived a quiet life in Santa Barbara with her mother until one day she |
| 0:36.6 | simply vanished. |
| 0:39.1 | Joining us tonight an all-star panel to make sense of what we know about missing |
| 0:43.8 | melody nine years old. Control room yes, show me her photo. Look at this gorgeous little |
| 0:50.5 | girl. Look at that smile. Look at that beautiful curly hair. How could she be gone a year and just |
| 0:59.7 | reported missing or was she? Before I go to our panel, I want to go to a special guest joining us |
| 1:06.3 | tonight. It's Elizabeth Messa. This is Melody's aunt. |
| 1:11.5 | Ms. Messa, thank you so much for being with us. |
| 1:14.0 | Yes, thank you so much for having me. |
| 1:16.2 | I'm so grateful that someone in Melody's family is speaking out on her behalf. |
| 1:22.9 | We, there she is. |
| 1:24.0 | I recognize that outfit. |
| 1:25.7 | That's a Dorothy outfit from Wizard of Oz. |
| 1:30.4 | Must be a little Halloween or a costume party of some sort. Look at this little girl, guys. Have |
| 1:36.8 | you seen her? Tip line 805-681-4-1-5-0. Repeat, 805-681-4-1-5-4-1-5. Straight back out to Elizabeth Messa, joining us. |
| 1:52.5 | This is Melody's aunt. Ms. Messa, how can this be? I don't understand how a child |
| 2:00.1 | cannot be seen for a year and only just being reported missing. |
... |
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