Nine-year-old Melodee Buzzard captured on CCTV on October 7, 2025. Her school reported her prolonged absence on October 14. On December 6, Melodee's body was found in rural Utah. Her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, has been charged with murder in her death.
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  • 519 points wantmoooore

    Quick synopsis.

    Mom 100% did it. Authorities traced her movements across state lines, match some bullets/shells from searching her house through national ATF “system”, etc. Saw the conference on a sub earlier

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    174 points RedRageXXIV

    They also found that she rented vehicles and changed license plates and stuff just super shady behavior.

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    30 points wantmoooore

    Yup I forgot about that part. She was sloppy as hell

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    55 points EvilEvo_IX

    Why would she do this?

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    47 points wantmoooore

    Mental illness?!. that’s my guess

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    101 points MaAreYouOnUppers

    I agree she’s mentally ill but to what extent is debatable. She traveled over a long distance, wore disguises, and even had her daughter wear wigs as well. It’s so calculated it’s not the typical manic episode or schizophrenic freak out, such an odd, awful case.

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    57 points abu_nawas

    Bipolar runs in my family and manic episodes can be very methodological. In my family it manifests as shopping, usually exotic plants, fish, and small animals or side hustles. They'd stay up all night reading and doing research, making things work. All quickly abandoned after a few months pass.

    Manic episodes can also come back the same, making people revisit the same strangeness.

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    11 points MaAreYouOnUppers

    Interesting. I never knew that, I thought it was extremely impulsive. I’ll have to read up on it, thank you for the insight. In my experience with family/friends, manic episodes are unpredictable and erratic which is explains my initial comment.

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    14 points abu_nawas

    Oh, it is often erratic, sometimes delusional ('I am god' is a very common manic episode).

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    -20 points EvilEvo_IX

    Is bipolar real or just an excuse for assholes to act as assholes?

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    10 points CatPooedInMyShoe

    Bipolar disorder is definitely real; I have it. It’s been stable for years but before it stable I sometimes got manic episodes and I once had a psychotic break. During my psychotic break I wasn’t violent or dangerous to anyone, just really loopy. Kept babbling nonsense, talking to people who weren’t there etc. Sometimes manic episodes cause people to get paranoid and violent.

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    9 points abu_nawas

    It is being an a-hole when you can afford therapy or meds. Which they all can. So sick of saving the plants and rehoming the animals btw.

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    5 points axiomofcope

    My husband used to do the animal thing before he met me; 4 dogs and 3 cats in a year type thing. I put a stop to that. He didn’t know it was a sickness bc he’s military and believed strong people can’t have mental issues. Meds completely changed him. I had no idea about it, his mom told me in passing as if it’s the most normal thing in the world…

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    1 points EvilEvo_IX

    So scary and you have the patience of a saint.

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    3 points rumpysheep

    Yes, too organized, with obvious consciousness of guilt.

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    30 points EvilEvo_IX

    Just so sad, so evil. To take a child’s life is honestly the greatest tragedy.

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    6 points Cookies-and-Cream-

    You’re correct. Her family said she was mentally ill.

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    3 points SnooPeripherals5221

    Yep this happened where I live. It’s super sad.

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  • 214 points TamIAm82

    To be killed by your own mother - the ultimate betrayal. Heartbreaking.

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    95 points CatPooedInMyShoe

    I hope she didn’t see it coming.

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    -163 points 407C_Huffer

    I'll bet you're pro abortion.

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    86 points TamIAm82

    I bet you don't know what you're talking about.

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    38 points Lala5789880

    No one is pro abortion. It’s called pro choice vs anti choice

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  • 83 points -briganja-

    This is so sad and happened near me. It’s been on the local news for months, I’m glad they finally found her body so they could move forward with the arrest. We knew for months the mom had likely done it but they didn’t have enough to book her (they tried to get her in custody on an unrelated charge but it didn’t stick). 

    https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-12-23/missing-california-girl-melodee-buzzard-found-dead

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  • 107 points Interesting_Sock9142

    does she have a wig on in this picture?

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    163 points CatPooedInMyShoe

    She was. Her mom took off with her and traveled all the way to Nebraska, and made her wear a wig during that time.

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    3 points RottingSextoy

    What part of Nebraska do you know?

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    1 points CatPooedInMyShoe

    I do not.

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  • 156 points -Incubation-

    Tragic.

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    146 points CatPooedInMyShoe

    I tried to provide some context but my comment got deleted by an automod who sent me hotline numbers. I hope a human mod can make it visible.

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    8 points marmothelm

    Just send a modmail instead of hoping that a mod opens this thread and sees your comment.

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    39 points CatPooedInMyShoe

    I have previously sent a modmail complaining about this automod and never got an answer or acknowledgement.

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  • 74 points Porchprophet

    she’s just a baby. i remember wearing those same kind of leggings as a kid. just so heart-wrenching.

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  • 63 points agemsheis

    Following along this story has been incredibly infuriating. It’s sad that a lot of people came to this conclusion anyway, but the fact her mother was pulling a Lori Vallow hit too close to home.

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  • 24 points North_Amphibian7779

    Is it really that hard to not kill kids people ? Jfc so sad !

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    17 points ConsciousMind11

    It's not that hard to not kill people in general

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    1 points Dawhoda0

    Seems people are getting more and more evil but it's probably anyways been this way.

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  • 15 points LimitGroundbreaking2

    Is there a motive?

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    10 points CatPooedInMyShoe

    Unclear. The mother is said to be mentally ill.

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  • 12 points Glittering-Gap-1687

    Does anyone have a theory on why mom did it?

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    1 points Dawhoda0

    So she could have a carefree life. Now miss bubba will be taking care of her.

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  • 13 points Mandalika

    That is one hell of a heartless biological incubator, RIP

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  • 3 points I_Like_Parade_Dogs

    Sickening!!

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  • 9 points Sea_Poet9170

    Have there been any news coverage stories covering this that I can watch?

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    18 points CatPooedInMyShoe

    It has gotten a lot of coverage. I recommend going to Google News and putting Melodee’s name in.

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    4 points LegoLady8

    Here you go: https://news.google.com/search?for=melodee+buzzard&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US%3Aen

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  • 2 points International_Sun404

    Es por eso que cuando vi el video de la mamá que decía que hoy sería su último día de ir a dejar a su hija a la escuela porque al finalizar las clases irían a recogerla sus nuevos papás adoptivos, y así por fin ella tendría la libertad que tanto había esperado, no la critique, al contrario, le aplaudí haber actuado de la manera más objetiva y razonable posible.

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  • 2 points Lala5789880

    Is this the case where she put wigs on both of them?

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    2 points CatPooedInMyShoe

    Correct.

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