Podcast Summary

Crime Stories with Nancy Grace

Episode: "MOMMY DISGUISES MISSING MELODEE, 9, IN WIGS ON BIZARRE CROSS-COUNTRY ROAD-TRIP"

Date: November 13, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Nancy Grace investigates the mysterious disappearance of 9-year-old Melody Buzzard, whose mother, Ashley Buzzard, took her on a perplexing and secretive cross-country road trip. During the journey, both mother and daughter donned wigs and disguises, the car’s license plates were changed, and Melody has not been seen since Ashley’s return. The episode unpacks the actions and motives of the mother, analyzes legal and psychological implications, and features interviews with family, law enforcement, and experts.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Case Introduction & Timeline

• Nancy introduces the disappearance, emphasizing the mother’s uncooperativeness with authorities and the bizarre circumstances.
  • “Mommy comes home, no Melody. I’m Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories. I want to thank you for being with us. Where is this little girl?” (02:00)
• Ashley Buzzard took Melody on a three-day road trip:
  • Left Lompoc, California, traveled through Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, and returned alone.
  • Both wore wigs and disguises, and the rental vehicle’s plates were switched from California to New York and back (09:22).

2. Ashley Buzzard's Arrest: False Imprisonment Charge

• Ashley was arrested, but not for Melody’s disappearance. Instead, a friend, Tyler Brewer, claims Ashley falsely imprisoned him in her home with a box cutter after he tried to help find Melody.
  • "…she holds him in her home, locks the doors and holds him with a box cutter…” (04:04)
  • Charges are unrelated to Melody’s disappearance, raising suspicions about Ashley’s motives and mental state.

3. Bizarre Disguises and License Plate Changes

• Surveillance and eyewitness accounts describe both Ashley and Melody in wigs, and Ashley in unusual makeup and outfits, very unlike her prior appearance.
  • “Why the change in appearance and why there?… you see Melody just kind of walking behind her. I don’t like the looks of that.” (23:33, 24:42)
• License plates on the rental car were switched during the trip, complicating the investigation.
  • "…the vehicle left the rental agency bearing a California plate... switched out to a New York plate... before it was returned, the California plate was replaced." (33:28)

4. Eyewitness: Gas Station Sighting in Utah

• Gas station employees in Junction, Utah, describe a strange encounter with Ashley and note a possible sighting of Melody, though the passenger in the car may have been disguised.
  • “It was really really freaking weird…she opened the door at the store and said, ‘Do you guys know you have a whole bunch of kittens out here though?’” (11:33)
  • Employees observed a passenger with "purple hair," speculating it might have been Melody in disguise or possibly an adult (14:37–17:06).

5. Family and Law Enforcement Frustration

• Melody’s aunt, Lizbeth Mesa, voices heartbreak and frustration:
  • “She walks out so careless, so nonchalant, like it’s not a big deal.” (20:58)
  • No one has been able to confront Ashley directly about Melody's location.
  • The family is left in the dark, only learning updates from news reports (28:09).

6. Legal & Psychological Analysis

• Lauren Johnson Norris provides legal insight on Fifth Amendment rights:
  • “Her attorney would have asserted the Fifth Amendment privilege... anything she can say can incriminate her…” (07:31–08:51)
• Dr. Bethany Marshall (psychoanalyst) expresses concern over the mother’s apparent sexualization of Melody and lack of empathy:
  • “The mother is in quite a bit of debt…she and her daughter look so sexualized…somebody at a convenience store actually thinks a nine-year-old is between twenty and thirty years of age…” (37:20)

7. Potential Trafficking and Financial Motive

• Discussion turns to Ashley’s debt and the grim possibility that Melody could have been trafficked or sold.
  • “She needs money…she went in disguise, she changed the car plates…have you considered the very disturbing fact that Melody was sold or trafficked at nine years old?” (24:42–25:31)

8. Community and Law Enforcement Response

• Efforts include billboards and posters across California, Nevada, and Utah to raise awareness.
  • “We are sponsoring six billboards throughout California, Nevada and Utah…” (46:20)
• Law enforcement faces challenges due to lack of evidence and Ashley’s reluctance to talk.

9. Key Obstacles in the Case

• Lack of direct evidence and inability to compel Ashley to divulge details.
• Surveillance footage at possible sighting locations was taped over.
• Disguises and plate changes hinder tracking movements and sightings.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Nancy Grace: “Where is Melody? Please help us find this girl. Mommy being completely uncooperative in the search for Melody...” (02:12)
• Ann Emerson (Reporter): “...we were so surprised when that false imprisonment charge came in...” (03:43)
• Ashley’s Aunt Lizbeth Mesa:
  • “This whole thing is pretty shocking and it’s very, very heartbreaking that there’s no force to tell her where…Melody is.” (20:38)
  • “For her not to have any concern for her daughter whatsoever is absolutely disgusting...” (21:24)
• Raquel Zick (Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Office): “We do have a confirmed sighting as recent as October ninth…on the Colorado side of the Colorado-Utah border.” (19:12)
• Dr. Bethany Marshall: “The mother is more worried about kittens than about Melody apparently.” (37:20)
• Greg Morse (Defense Attorney): “...these are just unconnected actions by someone. They don’t prove anything…clearly not enough to arrest…” (34:50)
• Rhonda Decair (Missing in America Network): “We are sponsoring six billboards throughout California, Nevada and Utah in order to help the public know who to look for...” (46:31)
• Lizbeth Mesa: “I just want to let Melody know that she has a lot of family that loves her…we just want her home safe.” (32:01)

Important Timestamps

• 02:06: Nancy Grace sets up the case and introduces Ashley Buzzard’s uncooperative attitude.
• 03:43–04:53: Discussion of the false imprisonment charge and the Tyler Brewer incident.
• 09:22: Raquel Zick details the cross-country route.
• 11:33–12:21: Gas station employee recounts the bizarre encounter with Ashley and the disguised passenger.
• 14:37: Ann Emerson analyzes the gas station sighting and confusion over Melody’s appearance.
• 19:12: Law enforcement confirms last credible Melody sighting.
• 20:38–24:42: Interview with Melody’s aunt about family anguish, financial speculation, and more.
• 31:43: Lizbeth reports Ashley returned to her home.
• 33:28: Law enforcement confirms license plate switches.
• 37:20: Dr. Bethany Marshall’s psychological assessment.
• 46:20–47:05: Missing in America Network and community’s efforts.

Memorable Moments

• The Kittens Incident: The odd gas station encounter where Ashley, in disguise, enters only to talk about kittens, unsettling staff with her behavior (11:33–12:15).
• Disguises and Wigs: Revelations of both mother and daughter in wigs, possibly to make Melody appear older or unrecognizable (23:33–24:42).
• Family Plea: Melody’s aunt's emotional message addressed directly to Melody (32:01).
• Destroyed Posters: Confirmation that Ashley has been caught tearing down missing child posters from her yard (45:02).
• Community Outcry: Plans for billboards and flyers in multiple states highlight the case’s reach (46:20).

Conclusion

This episode painstakingly recounts the troubling facts and dead ends in the search for Melody Buzzard. Through analysis, interviews, and direct questioning, it raises urgent concerns about child trafficking, legal roadblocks, and the limits of the justice system. The emotional toll on Melody’s family is evident, and the call to action for public vigilance and tips is repeated.

“If you know or think you know anything at all about missing Melody, age nine, please call Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s…” – Nancy Grace (47:05)

To report tips, contact:
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s: 805-681-4150