Articles by Emily Shapiro

Technology

Where is Melodee Buzzard? A timeline of the 9-year-old's puzzling disappearance

Weeks into the search for missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, California authorities are continuing to narrow down when and where in the country she was last seen. Meanwhile, Santa Barbara County officials say Melodee's mom, Ashlee Buzzard, is not cooperating with the investigation. Here's the timeline of the puzzling case: On Oct. 7, Melodee and Ashlee Buzzard left on a three-day road trip from their Lompoc, California, home to the Nebraska area, the sheriff's office said. Surveillance images show the mom and daughter -- both appearing to be wearing wigs -- at a Santa Barbara-area rental car business that day, authorities said. During the road trip, Ashlee Buzzard allegedly removed the California license plate, number 9MNG101, from her rented white 2024 Chevrolet Malibu, according to the sheriff's office. Beginning on Oct. 8, New York license plate number HCG9677 was on the rental car. It's not clear when that plate was put on or if other plates were added at other times, according to the sheriff's office. The last verified sighting of Melodee was on Oct. 9, the sheriff's office told ABC News. Surveillance video shows Melodee with her mom that day near the Colorado-Utah border, according to the sheriff's office. Authorities said they believe Ashlee Buzzard's return route went west through Green River, Utah; Panguitch, Utah; northwest Arizona; Primm, Nevada; and Rancho Cucamonga, California. On Oct. 10, Ashlee Buzzard arrived home in Lompoc with the car she and Melodee had rented on Oct. 7 -- but Melodee was not with her, the sheriff's office said. Ashlee Buzzard's rental car had its original California license plate back on when it was returned to the rental agency, according to authorities. The investigation into Melodee’s disappearance was sparked on Oct. 14 when a school district administrator reported her "extended absence" to authorities, the sheriff's office said. Melodee was apparently homeschooled for at least the last few years, the sheriff's office said. This August, Melodee and her mom visited the Mission Valley Independent School to enroll her in the Lompoc Unified School District's "independent study program," according to the district. "In our independent study program, if a student fails to pick up assignments, the student is referred back to their school of residence, which then contacts the family to complete enrollment," the district told ABC News in a statement. "If attendance does not begin, the school follows mandatory truancy procedures -- including phone calls, letters, emails, and home visits. When a student or family cannot be reached after these efforts, the school requests a welfare check from law enforcement." Melodee’s paternal aunt told ABC News that Melodee lived alone with her mother in increasing isolation. The aunt said in the few times she’d seen Melodee, the little girl was friendly, kind and loving. Authorities conducted an initial search of Ashlee Buzzard's home on Oct. 15, the sheriff's office said. Investigators conducted another search at the Buzzards' home on Oct. 30, authorities said. Investigators have also searched a storage locker and the rented Chevrolet Malibu. The sheriff's office urges anyone who saw Ashlee Buzzard or Melodee on Oct. 9 or Oct. 10 to come forward. Investigators are also looking for video footage from their route. The department said anyone with information can call the sheriff's department at 805-681-4150 or submit a tip anonymously at 805-681-4171 or at sbsheriff.org/home/anonymous-tip.