""Lompoc Unified School District deserves credit for recognizing that something wasn't right, reaching out, and continuing to assist with this investigation," said sheriff's office Lt. Chris Gotschall in a statement."
""I am horrified for my little niece, I can't imagine what she's gone through," Vicky Shade, Melodee's aunt, told the Times."
""This does not sound good. I just want to know if she's OK. We need to find her.""
Melodee Buzzard, a nine-year-old homeschooled girl from Vandenberg Village, has been missing with no confirmed sightings since approximately August. The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office says Melodee's mother, Ashlee Buzzard, has been uncooperative with investigators. School staff registered Melodee and her mother for an independent study program and later noticed the family never checked in again, prompting a missing person advisory. Deputies narrowed the last known sighting to the August registration visit. Family members describe a fraught relationship with Ashlee Buzzard, note Melodee's father died in a motorcycle crash when she was an infant, and report Ashlee has refused family access. Court records show Ashlee Buzzard faces civil cases from creditors alleging unpaid debts. Relatives and officials continue seeking information on Melodee's whereabouts.
Read at SFGATE
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