Detectives Say 9-Year-Old Melodee Buzzard's Appearance May Have Been Altered with a Wig Before She Disappeared

Security camera footage taken at a California car rental business shows Melodee wearing a dark wig on Oct. 7

More than two weeks after the search began for missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard in California, investigators are sharing new details about the case — and providing a new timeline for the girl's disappearance.

On Friday, Oct. 24, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office released surveillance camera photos of Melodee that were captured at a California car rental business on Oct. 7 — just one week before she was reported missing.

Melodee can be seen wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt with the hood pulled up, and what appears to be a wig that is darker and straighter than her natural hair, according to a statement from the sheriff's office.

“Investigators also noted the wig may have been used to alter her appearance,” the statement reads. “Detectives also note that [Melodee's mother, 35-year-old Ashlee Buzzard] is known to wear wigs.”

Ashlee rented a white Chevrolet Malibu with the license plate 9MNG101, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The mother and daughter then left the car rental business, embarking on a three-day road trip from Lompoc, Calif., to the Nebraska area.

According to the sheriff's office, the investigation into Melodee's disappearance first began on Oct. 14, when a local school reported the child's “extended absence.”

Deputies went to Ashlee's home in Lompoc — a city about 50 miles north of Santa Barbara — and discovered that Melodee was not at home. When they returned later on and spoke to Ashlee, investigators were provided “no verifiable explanation for her whereabouts,” per the statement.

Investigators have now confirmed that Ashlee returned to her house in California on Oct. 10, after returning from Nebraska through Kansas — but “Melodee was not in the car.”

“Detectives are now focused on determining where Melodee was during those three days and where she may be now,” the sheriff's office said.

“Our detectives are following every lead in this case. We continue to seek information from the public that could help us find Melodee,” Sheriff Bill Brown said. “We remain determined to bring her home safely.”

This update comes after investigators previously said the “at-risk” girl hadn't been seen in a year, PEOPLE previously reported. According to the sheriff's office, Melodee was homeschooled and had not checked in since October 2024.

Melodee was reported missing by the Lompoc Unified School District when she failed to pick up assignments following her August enrollment in an independent learning program at the school, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing a statement from the school.

However, a California Department of Education spokesperson told ABC News that there is no record of Melodee's mother filing a yearly private school affidavit, which is necessary for homeschooling.

The sheriff's office also said in an updated statement on Monday, Oct. 20, that Ashlee is refusing to cooperate with authorities.

Melodee Buzzard.

Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office

Melodee's extended family has expressed concerns about her well-being, claiming Ashlee has a long history of mental illness and has cut off the family for years, per the Times.

“Ashlee is mentally unstable, and my mom tried to get custody or at least grandparent rights to visit Melodee because [Ashlee] wasn’t letting our side of the family see her,” Vicky Shade, Melodee's aunt, told the outlet.

Shade's brother, Rubiell Meza, is Melodee's father. He died in a motorcycle accident shortly after the child was born, Shade said.

Melodee is described as being around 4 feet 6 inches tall and weighing 60 lbs., with brown hair and brown eyes, according to the sheriff's office.

The FBI is now involved in the case, and the sheriff's office is encouraging anyone with information to contact investigators at (805) 681-4150, via the anonymous tip line at (805) 681-4171, or online at the sheriff's office website.