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Coverage dated November 6, 2025 to November 11, 2025

Mother of missing Melodee Buzzard is set to appear in court Wednesday on unrelated charge

Headline from ABC 7 Chicago, from the development of Nov 7, 2025

Newest development Nov 8, 2025 · 2 reportsWig disguises, a swapped license plate and a 1,000-mile drive: Where the search for 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard stands

The search for Melodee Buzzard began on Oct. 14 when a school administrator reported the 9-year-old girl had been absent for a prolonged time.

ABC 7 Chicago's own description from its feed. We collect headlines and these descriptions, not full articles; read the original reporting below.

Developments in this update

2 dated developments, oldest first, newest marked. Each is named by one outlet's own headline; open its reports to see every outlet that covered it.

  1. Names this update

    Mother of missing Melodee Buzzard is set to appear in court Wednesday on unrelated charge

    Headline from ABC 7 Chicago ·

  2. Newest

    Wig disguises, a swapped license plate and a 1,000-mile drive: Where the search for 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard stands

    Headline from Local News 8 ·

1 report not tied to one development ·

Read the reports

Reports & sources

30 articles, oldest first.

  1. CNN

    Mother of missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard is arrested. Authorities say it’s not related to her daughter’s disappearance (opens CNN)

    Published

    CNN's feed description

    The mother of a 9-year-old California girl who vanished during their road trip more than two weeks ago has been arrested on a felony charge of false imprisonment – but detectives said the charge is not related to the disappearance of her daughter.

  2. KEYT Santa Barbara

    Sheriff's Detectives arrested Ashlee Buzzard for felony false imprisonment; Missing daughter's location remains unknown | News Channel 3-12 (opens KEYT Santa Barbara)

    Published

    KEYT Santa Barbara's feed description

    VANDENBERG VILLAGE, Calif. (KEYT) – Ashlee Buzzard, the mother of still-missing nine-year-old Melodee Buzzard, was arrested Friday morning on charges

  3. New York Post

    Melodee Buzzard’s mom Ashlee arrested on false imprisonment charges unrelated to still-missing daughter’s case (opens New York Post)

    Published

    New York Post's feed description

    Melodee Buzzard's mom, Ashlee Buzzard, was arrested by the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Office on false imprisonment charges that are unrelated to the case of her still-missing 9-year-old daughter.

  4. Los Angeles Times

    Mother of missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard arrested on an unrelated charge (opens Los Angeles Times)

    Published

    Los Angeles Times's feed description

    Ashlee Buzzard, the mother of a 9-year-old girl who went missing in October, was arrested on suspicion of false imprisonment, but Santa Barbara County sheriff's officials said the arrest was unrelated to her missing daughter.

  5. ABC 7 Los Angeles

    Mother of missing Santa Barbara County girl arrested on unrelated charge (opens ABC 7 Los Angeles)

    Published

    ABC 7 Los Angeles's feed description

    The mother of Melodee Buzzard, a missing 9-year-old girl from Santa Barbara County, was arrested Friday on an unrelated charge.

  6. Nooz Hawk

    Mother of Missing Melodee Buzzard Arrested for Alleged False Imprisonment | Local News (opens Nooz Hawk)

    Published

    Nooz Hawk's feed description

    The mother of a missing 9-year-old Lompoc Valley girl was taken into custody Friday by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office on a charge not related

  7. Foxla

    Melodee Buzzard: California mother arrested as search continues for missing girl (opens Foxla)

    Published

    Foxla's feed description

    Ashlee Buzzard, mother of missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, was arrested on charges unrelated to her daughter's disappearance, officials said.

  8. KEYT Santa Barbara

    Mother of missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard is arrested. Authorities say it’s not related to her daughter’s disappearance | News Channel 3-12 (opens KEYT Santa Barbara)

    Published

    KEYT Santa Barbara's feed description

    By Elizabeth Wolfe, Holly Yan, CNN (CNN) — The mother of a 9-year-old California girl who vanished during their road trip last month was arrested

  9. Lamag

    Mother of Missing Girl Melodee Buzzard Taken Into Custody (opens Lamag)

    Published

    Lamag's feed description

    Ashlee Buzzard, mother of missing 9-year-old Melodee, has been arrested on an unrelated false imprisonment charge, officials confirm

  10. Los Angeles Times

    Inside the investigation into Melodee Buzzard’s disappearance (opens Los Angeles Times)

    Published

    Los Angeles Times's feed description

    A 9-year-old girl with a winning smile and bouncy brown curls has not been seen since her mother took her on a mysterious road trip from Southern California to Nebraska and returned home alone.

  11. Local News 8

    Wig disguises, a swapped license plate and a 1,000-mile drive: Where the search for 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard stands (opens Local News 8)

    Published

    Local News 8's feed description

    By Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN (CNN) — It’s been a month since Ashlee Buzzard packed her 9-year-old daughter Melodee into a rental car and left their home state of California – only to return three days later with no child and plenty of unanswered questions in tow, authorities say.

  12. NBC Los Angeles

    Mother of missing girl Melodee Buzzard arrested on charges unrelated to daughter's disappearance (opens NBC Los Angeles)

    Published

    NBC Los Angeles's feed description

    The mother of a 9-year-old Santa Barbara County girl who disappeared last month has been arrested on unrelated charges.

  13. Fox News

    Melodee Buzzard's mother arrested on charge unrelated to her daughter's disappearance (opens Fox News)

    Published

    Fox News's feed description

    Ashlee Buzzard, the mother of missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, was arrested on a charged unrelated to her daughter's disappearance, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office said.

  14. The Santa Barbara Independent

    Mother of Missing Lompoc Girl Arrested on Unrelated Charges; Search for Melodee Buzzard Continues (opens The Santa Barbara Independent)

    Published

    The Santa Barbara Independent's feed description

    Ashlee Buzzard, 40, arrested on suspicion of false imprisonment after she allegedly prevented a victim from leaving a location against their will.

  15. Foxla

    Mother of missing girl, Melodee Buzzard, facing felony charge; daughter still missing (opens Foxla)

    Published

    Foxla's feed description

    The search continues for 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard who was last seen with her mother on October 9.

  16. ABC 7 Chicago

    Mother of missing Melodee Buzzard is set to appear in court Wednesday on unrelated charge (opens ABC 7 Chicago)

    Published

    ABC 7 Chicago's feed description

    The search for Melodee Buzzard began on Oct. 14 when a school administrator reported the 9-year-old girl had been absent for a prolonged time.

  17. ABC 17 Mid-Missouri

    The mother of missing Melodee Buzzard is in court today on unrelated charge. Here’s how we got here (opens ABC 17 Mid-Missouri)

    Published

    ABC 17 Mid-Missouri's feed description

    By Elizabeth Wolfe, Eric Levenson, CNN (CNN) — The search for Melodee Buzzard began on October 14 when a school administrator reported the 9-year-old had been absent for a prolonged time. The investigation into her whereabouts has now stretched for nearly a month, focused on a 1,000-mile road trip f…

  18. New York Post

    Melodee Buzzard’s mom allegedly held friend captive in ‘regret’ at telling him where she’d left her missing daughter (opens New York Post)

    Published

    New York Post's feed description

    Melodee Buzzard’s mom — who has refused to help investigators find her missing 9-year-old daughter — allegedly held a man hostage with a boxcutter after she regretted telling him where Melodee is.

  19. KEYT Santa Barbara

    The mother of missing Melodee Buzzard is in court today on unrelated charge. Here’s how we got here | News Channel 3-12 (opens KEYT Santa Barbara)

    Published

    KEYT Santa Barbara's feed description

    By Elizabeth Wolfe, Eric Levenson, CNN (CNN) — The search for Melodee Buzzard began on October 14 when a school administrator reported the

Identical headlines usually mean shared wire copy. They are counted as separate articles but are not independent confirmation.

Mother of missing Melodee Buzzard is set to appear in court Wednesday on unrelated charge | Since Then