Ashlee Buzzard pleads not guilty in 9-year-old daughter's death

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. - Ashlee Buzzard was arraigned on Friday and pleaded not guilty on a charge of first-degree murder with a special allegation. 

The legal proceedings follow the discovery of her 9-year-old daughter, Melodee, whose body was located in a rural area of Utah more than two months after she was first reported missing.

Ashlee is accused of shooting her daughter to death then leaving her body in Utah. 

What we know:

During the hearing, an attorney representing Ashlee Buzzard, 40, confirmed that she entered a plea of not guilty to the charges. 

A judge subsequently ordered that she be held in custody without bail. 

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Melodee Buzzard: Missing California 9-year-old girl found dead

Prosecutors reportedly said they would not pursue the death penalty if Ashlee Buzzard is convicted but would seek a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

What we don't know:

While the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office has characterized the killing as a premeditated act, a specific motive for the crime has not yet been determined. 

Additionally, officials confirmed that the murder weapon has not been recovered.

The backstory:

Evidence linking Ashlee Buzzard to the death of her daughter includes matching ballistic evidence and DNA analysis, according to Santa Barbara County Sheriff-Coroner Bill Brown. 

Investigators reportedly matched a used cartridge case found in Buzzard’s home to bullet cartridges recovered near the body of Melodee Buzzard, which was discovered by photographers in a rural Utah area on Dec. 6. 

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While officers could not immediately identify the remains, an FBI DNA analysis confirmed a familial match to Ashlee Buzzard, and detectives later located similar ammunition inside a vehicle she had rented.

Dig deeper:

The investigation into the death of Melodee has revealed what authorities describe as a "calculated, cold-blooded" and premeditated crime.

According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, the timeline began on Oct. 7, when Ashlee Buzzard left Lompoc, California, with her daughter in a rented 2024 Chevrolet Malibu.

The pair embarked on a multi-state journey that reached as far as Nebraska, with stops in Nevada, Arizona, Kansas, and Utah. 

Melodee was last seen alive on Oct. 9 on surveillance footage near the Colorado-Utah border; her mother returned to California alone the following day.

Detectives uncovered evidence of elaborate efforts to evade detection during the trip. 

Surveillance video from the Lompoc rental office allegedly showed both mother and daughter wearing wigs to alter their appearances—the child in a dark, straight-haired wig and Ashlee Buzzard in a long, curly one. Police report that Buzzard continued to swap wigs and even changed the rental car's license plates throughout the journey. 

Despite the return of the vehicle on Oct. 10, Melodee’s absence was not officially reported until a school administrator raised concerns on Oct. 14. 

When deputies initially questioned Ashlee Buzzard at her home, she refused to disclose her daughter’s whereabouts.

What's next:

The case remains under active investigation as authorities work to fill in the remaining gaps of the mother's return trip to California.