Ashlee Buzzard, a California mother accused of killing her 9-year-old daughter, faced a Santa Barbara County judge Friday and entered a plea on a first-degree murder charge.
Buzzard appeared in the Santa Barbara County Superior Court Friday morning, and pleaded not guilty in connection with the death of Melodee Buzzard. Judge John F. McGregor ordered her to remain behind bars without bail.
Audible gasps and crying came from the court while Buzzard’s public defender entered the plea on her behalf, The New York Post reports.
The prosecution announced that they would not seek the death penalty but will push for life in prison without the possibility of parole, CNN reports.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, a man and woman taking pictures near a dirt road found Melodee’s remains in Wayne County, Utah, near East State Route 24, on December 6. The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office then notified the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
Investigators were waiting on DNA results to confirm the child’s identity, due to decomposition. Authorities said it appeared as if Melodee had been deceased for months.
Santa Barbara Sheriff Bill Brown said during a Tuesday press conference that the Melodee had “gunshot wounds to the head.”
Investigators found an expended cartridge case inside Buzzard’s home during an October 30 search. They also found “a live round of similar ammunition” inside a vehicle she had rented.
Authorities took Ashlee Buzzard into custody Tuesday morning, at her Vandenberg Village home.
Brown called the killing “cold-blooded” with “criminally sophisticated premeditation and heartlessness.”
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said Buzzard rented a car in Lompoc, and embarked on a cross-country trip on October 7.
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.
Investigators said they now believe that Melodee died shortly after the October 9 stop. So far, the motive is unknown and authorities do not have the murder weapon.
Melodee had been reported missing on October 14 after Lompoc Unified School District employees said she failed to pick assignments for an independent study program. Her mother remained uncooperative when questioned and offered no valid explanation for her daughter’s disappearance.
Ashlee Buzzard is believed to have acted alone.
Meanwhile, Melodee’s paternal grandmother, Lily Dennes, told reporters Friday that she is enraged at the not guilty plea, while describing Melodee as a “lovable” child.
During Friday’s hearing, McGregor issued a temporary gag order on the case, to prevent the sheriff’s office from discussing additional details.
Buzzard’s next hearing has been set for January 7. Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo: Santa Barbara County police]