The body of missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard has been found, according to officials.
Multiple law enforcement sources told ABC News that Melodee’s body had been found in Utah, in early December. She was reportedly found in an area that her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, traveled to.
Investigators were waiting on DNA results to confirm the child’s identity. It reportedly appears as if Melodee had been deceased for months.
Officials took Ashlee Buzzard into custody Tuesday morning, at her Vandenberg Village home.
According to KSBY, Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s officials arrived at Ashlee Buzzard’s home, off Mars Avenue, and took her into custody at a little before 8 a.m.
Neighbors told the outlet that authorities pried Buzzard’s door open after banging on it with a metal object. After detaining Buzzard, they led her away in handcuffs.
The Santa Barbara Sheriff’s County Office is expected to hold a press conference at 2 p.m. PST.
Previous Video Coverage
As CrimeOnline previously reported, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said Buzzard rented a car in Lompoc, and embarked on a cross-country trip on October 7, with possible stops in Kansas and Nebraska.
Security footage placed both Ashlee Buzzard and Melodee at the car rental business while wearing wigs that same day.
According to the sheriff’s office, Melodee was last seen on October 9, between the Colorado–Utah border, on a return route.
“Somewhere along that route is where we know Ashlee was no longer with Melodee,” Raquel Zick, Public Information Officer with SBCSO, said.
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[Feature Photo: Santa Barbara County police]