Hidden True Crime - A Mothers Secret Mission? | A Wig, A Road Trip, & A Missing Child: Where is Melodee Buzzard?

Episode Date: October 31, 2025

Nine-year-old Melodee Buzzard vanished after a cross-country trip with her mother—then Mom came home alone and stopped cooperating. Surveillance shows Melodee in a hood and what appears to be a wig; a rental car logged hundreds of miles; the FBI is now involved. In this episode, we trace the paper trail, the digital breadcrumbs, and the chilling 72-hour ultimatum to “produce Melodee or face arrest,” and ask the only question that matters: where is Melodee? About Hidden True Crime What started as a simple conversation at their dinner table became a captivating podcast. Join the dynamic duo of Dr. John Matthias, a criminal psychologist, and Lauren Matthias, an investigative journalist, as they delve into the psychological facets of unthinkable crimes every week. Their unique perspectives and in-depth analysis offer a fresh take on true crime storytelling. Thank you for your support through sponsorships, subscribing, listening, and becoming a Patreon member at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon.com/HiddenTrueCrime⁠⁠ You can go to my sponsor https://aura.com/hiddentruecrime to try 14 days for free. That’s enough time for Aura to start scrubbing your personal info off these data broker sites, without you lifting a finger.  ⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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And the last person anyone knows to have been with her is her own mother. 40-year-old Ashley Buzzard. I'm Lauren Matthias, and this is Hidden True Crime. And in this episode, we are going to share everything you need to know about this unfolding case. be very concerning all too familiar case because when a child goes missing, most of us would instinctively be distraught, searching desperately for any help, any lead anywhere to bring them home. And that's what feels normal. What isn't normal is doing nothing or worse knowing where your child is and refusing to share that information with law enforcement while an active investigation

unfolds. But sadly, history shows the scenario is far from rare. Cases like Casey Anthony come to mind where her daughter Kaylee wasn't reported missing until her grandparents intervened. Then there's the still active case of Madalina Kojikari, whose parents have been largely unhelpful to authorities despite likely knowing where she is. And of course, the tragic story of Little Harmony Montgomery, whose father and stepmother did not report her missing because, well, they killed her. I can't think, honestly, of a single case where parents withheld information or refuse to cooperate, and the outcome didn't end badly, where the parents weren't directly involved. And unfortunately, the case we're diving into today seems to follow that same unsettling

trend. So who is Melody Buzzard? Melody, let's go back to the beginning of this sweet little girl's life. She was born on February 10, 2016. Her father, Rubiel Meza, was tragically killed in a motorcycle crash when she was just six months old. Relatives describe Melody is happy, lively toddler, a little girl with a nose like her father's and a laugh that lit up a room. However, after Rubiel's death, Melody's mother Ashley reportedly distanced herself from relatives and began suffering from mental health issues. We still have a lot more to learn about those mental health issues, but many have now stated mental health issues. Melodies and Bridget Truitt

has said, quote, she hasn't let us see her, Melody, meaning for a few years. All of us have tried, but we never stopped thinking about her, loving her, and praying for her. End quote. For at least a year,

Melody was said to be homeschooled, though there doesn't appear to be any official paperwork documenting it. In California, even homeschooled students are required to maintain attendance records with their local districts. So in August of 2025, she was enrolled in an independent study program at Mission Valley Independent School, which is a part of the Lom-Poke Unified School District.

Well, this program requires both students and parents to pick up assignments directly from the school. So the district explains that if a student doesn't begin attending, they follow mandatory truancy procedures, which means phone calls, letters, emails, and even after, all of that a home visit. So if a family cannot be reached after all of that, the school requests a welfare check from law enforcement. And in Melody's case, even though she was enrolled, she never, never met the attendance requirements and no one picked up work for her to do at home for over two months. So by October 2025, Melody's absence was severe enough for a school administrator to request a welfare check. On October 14th, authorities received a call. Deputies, so they visited the buzzard home on Mars Avenue in Lompoc, which is East City in Santa Barbara

County. Ashley was there. Melody was not there. Sheriff Bill Brown with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's office later said that Ashley offered, quote, no verifiable explanation for her daughter's whereabouts, end quote. So on October 15th, Investigators executed a warrant at the home but did not find Melody. Ashley continued being, quote, uncooperative, which is a major red flag in cases of missing children, probably one of the largest red flags. And Ashley's half-sister, Corinna, reportedly reached out, admitting that she didn't know where to look for Melody either.

Ashley allegedly responded sharply, saying, quote, there's a reason for that, end quote. That is honestly the most frustrating. writing quote to hear a mother say of a missing child. There's a reason for that. Well, what is it? Investigators have narrowed the critical timeline to just a few days between October 7th and October 10th, 2025. The last verified siding. So that's October 7th at a local car rental agency. Surveillance images show Melody's standing near her mother Ashley in a hooded jacket, seemingly wearing a wig as they rented a white Chevy Malibu. Elizabeth Meza, another one of Melody's aunt.

saw the footage and said, quote, that knows definitely reminds me of her dad. It's heartbreaking. That's our little girl, end quote. So that day marked the beginning of a road trip that would stretch hundreds of miles. Investigators now believe they traveled to Nebraska. Yes, Nebraska.

That's nearly 1600 miles from their home with a stop in Kansas along the way. So Ashley was then seen returning to their home in Lompoc on October 10th. without Melody. So Melody's grandmother, Lori Miranda, Ashley's mother, so she has now spoken out publicly. And she hasn't seen, we've learned, Melody, in over two years. Why? Well, because Ashley cut off most of the family contact, according to Miranda. Miranda described Ashley's mental help as having taken on a, quote, drastic dive after Melody's father died. So again, that was

when Melody was six months old. So if her mental health took a drastic dive when Melody's father died, we are talking nearly nine years ago. So Miranda also recalled law enforcement being called to the home when Melody was an infant. The house was an extreme disarray. I mean, we're talking raw eggs and pans,

rotten food in the fridge. And Melody had to be taken into protective services then. Family members, they also claim that, Melody's uncle, Marvin Mesa, became her legal guardian for a short period back in 2020, but she was then placed with a friend of Ashley's before returning to her mother. So Miranda believes that Ashley should be, quote, ready for this, be at the hospital receiving treatment, end quote. She has issued a public plea, asking for Ashley to come forward and tell investigators where Melody is emphasizing that the family only

wants her safe, of course. I can only imagine. Miranda says Ashley's mental state had drastically declined since 2016, raising red flags around the time Melody was six months old. Miranda said she was planning to drop by her daughter's house when Melody was only an infant. That's when she got a call from authorities. About 15 minutes later, Sheriff calls me. He says, I'm at your daughter's house in Orkut. And I was just getting ready to take your granddaughter Melody with me to CPS because we're getting ready to take your daughter to the hospital. When Miranda arrived, she says the house was a mess. Couldn't believe it was my daughter.

I mean, the house was in disarray. There were raw eggs and pans. There was rotten food in the fridge that I think she was trying to give my granddaughter. Still, she claims Ashley struggles mentally. Everybody's dragging her room and she should be at the hospital. And you should be talking to her there instead

of everybody rattling her cage and then trying to act like they're trying to help. Other family members talk about a constant sort of heavy sense of despair. Her aunt wakes again and again in the night, staring at the clock, caught between hope and fear. Elizabeth Meza remembers Melody as a lively four-year-old, and yet she can still see traces of that little girl in the surveillance photos.

The grief is only made worse by frustration over Ashley's silence. And then, of course, the legal roadblocks that keep them from taking more direct action. Law enforcement is reconstructing the entire trip. They're using credit card receipts, toll cameras, and license plate readers. They're mapping each mile, every mile for clues. FBI agent Brad Garrett said, typically when people roam like this, there's a connection, some purpose. Those locations along the way or the people she knows could really be helpful, end quote. The authorities and the public are considering multiple scenarios of what could be going on here.

Court records, they reveal that Ashley is reportedly entangled. This is interesting in multiple civil cases. with creditors. Like she's facing allegations of unpaid debts, a lot of unpaid debt. Financial trouble, let's be honest, on its own, it can create immense stress. So combine that with the missing child.

It raises even more alarming possibilities, right? One of the fears, investigators and family members and myself cannot ignore in situations like this is the potential for trafficking. So when a child vanishes, and there are signs of instability in the household, law enforcement has to consider every angle, including the worst case scenarios. One family member even said, listen to this, quote,

there are allegations or assumptions that she could have been possibly sold to a man. I do fear that she could possibly be with a stranger. It worries me because who is that person? Does Melody know this person? Is she scared? All of these things run through my mind, end quote. Even though Ashley is reportedly known for wearing wigs, That's her thing. Putting one on Melody appears to be a deliberate attempt, let's be honest, to conceal her identity, a calculated move to keep her hidden from the public eye.

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With every passing hour, the stakes grow higher. As an at-risk child, her safety is a pressing concern and law enforcement fears she could already be in serious danger, making the race to locate her even more urgent. Investigators are combing through Ashley's digital footprint, phone records, social media, and known associates trying to determine whether anyone inadvertently sheltered Malady. The FBI is involved.

and utilizing national resources while also stressing that public cooperation is vital. Tips. No matter how small could be pivotal. Agent Garrett said, quote, the last thing parents would do if their child is missing is be evasive. Law enforcement now has to piece together timelines, track relationships, and interview anyone connected to her, and quote. Several critical questions remain in Melody's case,

and each one adds a sense of. of urgency and confusion surrounding her disappearance. So why was her appearance altered with a wig and hood that seemed designed to obscure her identity? Why did her mother take her on a cross-country trip in a rental car? And why to Kansas? Why to Nebraska? How did Melody vanish from public sight entirely?

Especially at a time when she had been enrolled in an independent study program. Investigators are left piecing together why she wasn't participating in the program she was supposed to be a part of, adding another layer of concern about her welfare and the circumstances that allowed her disappearance to go unnoticed for so long. But the most important question of all, in my opinion, and I think you would all agree, is she okay? Is she safe? Is she alive? Is she out there? Where is Melody? Investigators have also come through the home and the areas nearby,

but so far they haven't found any blood or physical signs of foul play. Most of the clues they're working with, they come from digital footprints and the accounts of people connected to the family, leaving them to piece together the puzzle from what little evidence exists. Brad Garrett warns, quote, unless the mother lives in a vacuum, she interacted with people along the way. Somebody knows something, end quote.

Authorities urge the public not to conduct, independent searches. Do not do that. Anyone who saw Melody or has contact with Ashley since October 7th, they are asked to call the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office 805-681-4-1-5-0. That's 805-6-81-4-1-5-6-81-4-1-7. Or you can submit an anonymous tip. That number is 805-6-8-1-4-171. I know in the day and age anonymous often is better there it is 805 681 or 171 so let's just again quickly go over this condensed timeline of events that law enforcement put together just to recap on what we know so far while we look for little melody well please look for little melody and we keep her in the public eye the photo currently being circulated of melody was taken in 2023 so her appearance may

have changed slightly since then. She's older now. In August 2025, there was a verified siding of her through the Lompoc Unified School District. And then fast forward to October 7th, Melody was last seen with her mother Ashley renting a car with the California license plate, 9MNG 101. That's a California license plate. And that began their road trip, which authorities believe may have taken them again all the way to Nebraska. Ashley then returned to California traveling through Kansas and was seen on October 10th arriving home without Melody. On October 14th, a welfare check was requested by the school district prompting the official missing person investigation. Deputies contacted Ashley at the home, but she either could not or

would not provide a reasonable explanation for Melody's whereabouts. And then the following day, October 15th, detectives served a search warrant at the residence and Ashley, well, she remained cooperative. So then by October 18th, the FBI had joined the investigation. By October 24th, and as of now, Melody is still considered an at-risk missing child with her mother continuing to refuse cooperation with authorities. Tragically, this is yet another story of a child flipping through the cracks of the very systems that are supposed to protect her. Her father's gone. Her extended family has been shut out. They've been isolated. The school system noticed too late. And now the hope of seeing her again relies on strangers, law enforcement,

and the fragile connections that remain. Melody buzzard should be getting ready to go trick or treating, playing outside, laughing with friends. She should be returning home from school. Instead, she is out there somewhere while her mother is a home, refusing, refusing to answer questions with each day that passes and melodies whereabouts remain unknown, the risk she faces only grows and the emotional weight on her family and loved ones becomes heavier and heavier. This story matters. This story matters so much. It's an investigation into a missing child.

Additionally, it's also a reminder of how fragile childhood can be and the dangers of children living in isolation. On October 20th, Ashley was handed and noticed informing her. her that she had 72 hours to produce her daughter or provide information about her whereabouts or face arrest that obviously hasn't happened so why hasn't there been an arrest ashley's sister corinna said quote i do hope that they arrest her soon because she has not opened up to anybody about the whereabouts of melody or if she's okay so i hope that they bring her in for questioning and i hope due to her mental health that they have a professional who can help her and can get us the answers that we need, end quote. The question I keep getting is why hasn't the mom been

arrested or taken into custody if she is not cooperating? How would you answer that question? Well, thank you for having me, Marty. You're absolutely right. They did give her 72 hours to produce Melody or face arrest. And so my guess is there could be a few reasons. I think the first may be is they want to see if she leads them to Melody. I think, you know, she is making some moves. I know she was trying to kind of feverishly rent a rental vehicle. And so part of me wonders if that's what they're doing. She is essentially worth more to them free because she could lead them to Melody rather than incarcerated because she obviously, as you mentioned before, has been so combative and not

willing to help. So we're starting to get more evidence, more of a clear picture of the timeline when she was last seen. How is this helping investigators right now, especially this latest possible image of her? I think that timeline is extremely crucial because as you mentioned before, they had thought she hadn't been seen for a year. And so that is going to take an in anordinate amount of time to essentially trace her last steps from a year. But thank goodness that the school actually stepped in and was able to give them a much tighter time frame. And from there, they were able to obtain those pictures.

So that's incredibly useful. It will be very useful to local police as well as to the FBI in hopefully finding her in a much quicker manner than they would have with that one year time frame. It's so delicate dealing with the mom in this case. If she knows where Melody is right now, how do police handle her? You know, it's interesting because I also would be curious to know if the grandmother has said anything. So Ashley Buzzard's mom, she lives in and around the area as well and is in contact. with her. So my guess is, I believe they are probably leveraging her as well to deal with Ashley and to give a sense of how she will respond to this. But you're right. It's incredibly difficult, especially when you

have a mother who is absolutely not willing to participate in finding her own daughter. Even if Ashley continues to refuse cooperation, there are now hundreds of thousands of people who care and are doing everything they can to help bring Malady home. And until she is found, we will keep you updated on any new information as it comes in. Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile, the message for everyone paying big wireless way too much. Please for the love of everything good in this world, stop. With Mint, you can get premium wireless for just $15 a month. Of course, if you enjoy overpaying, no judgments, but that's weird. Okay, one judgment. Anyway, give it a try at mintmobile.com Switch. Up front payment of $45 for three-month plan equivalent to $15 per month required.

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