Podcast Summary: Drop Dead Serious with Ashleigh Banfield

Episode: EXPLOSIVE NEW INFO: Ashlee Dressed A Pillow As Melodee & And Dropped Her Off With Couple From Zoo?
Date: November 25, 2025
Host: Ashleigh Banfield
Guest: Tyler Brewer (Paralegal, acquaintance of Ashley Buzzard)

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode presents explosive new developments in the ongoing case of missing 9-year-old Melody Buzzard from California, missing for 46 days as of recording. Ashleigh Banfield sits down with Tyler Brewer, a paralegal and one of the few people Ashley Buzzard (Melody’s mother) has spoken to since Melody’s disappearance. The conversation reveals Ashley’s erratic behavior, shocking actions inside her home, and her convoluted, implausible story about leaving Melody with a mystery couple allegedly met at a zoo. The interview sheds light on Ashley's possible frame of mind and uncovers bizarre details that deepen the mystery and concern about Melody’s fate.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Timeline and Background of Melody’s Disappearance

• Melody Buzzard has not been seen since October 9. Surveillance shows her with mother Ashley on a road trip - Ashley returns the next day, alone, with no explanation for Melody’s absence.
• Since then, Ashley has acted evasively, packing boxes, refusing to cooperate with investigators, and moving erratically. She has not been charged in connection with Melody’s disappearance.
• Tyler Brewer began visiting Ashley in early November, ostensibly to help or discover Melody’s whereabouts.

2. Tyler’s Encounter with Ashley Buzzard

• Ashley confided in Tyler about where she left Melody and with whom, then turned confrontational, produced a box cutter, and refused to let him leave her house.
  • Quote:

    “As soon as she revealed that information to him, Tyler Brewer says Ashley turned confrontational, pulled a box cutter and refused to let him leave that home. This led to an arrest... then a dismissal of the charges...”
    (03:13)

3. The ‘Zoo Couple’ Story and Road Trip Details

• According to Tyler, Ashley claimed:

  • She left Melody with a couple she had only just met at a zoo.

  • She didn't know their names, contact info, or addresses—just that they had a daughter Melody's age and kept changing the planned drop-off location due to paranoia about surveillance.

  • Communication was erratic: Ashley allegedly had only temporary numbers and trusted the couple based on minimal information.

  • Ashley justified the drop-off by citing a minor, outpatient surgery she needed, claiming she couldn't care for Melody during recovery (despite Tyler asserting the surgery wouldn't require such an absence).

  • Quote (Tyler):

    "It's just mind boggling for me… the fact that she trusted and believed some stranger that she randomly met at a zoo to care for her daughter… without checking where Melody was going to be sleeping..."
    (05:16)

  • Quote (Ashleigh):

    “How is she communicating with a woman multiple times to change drop off locations if she suddenly says, I have no means of communicating with said… woman?”
    (07:50)

4. Changing License Plates

• Ashley told Tyler about methods for obtaining fake plates and admitted she had switched plates in the past, possibly during the road trip involving Melody.

  • Quote (Tyler):

    “She went on to tell me about this website I can go onto to order fake plates that look real so I can switch them out without being noticed."
    (10:34)

5. The ‘Shrine’ and Home Observations

• In Ashley’s home, Tyler saw:

  • Photos of Melody, removed from missing-person posters, lined up on the couch.

  • A body pillow dressed in Melody’s clothing (hoodie, pants) arranged next to the photos.

  • The arrangement looked strikingly like a memorial or shrine.

  • Tyler asked Ashley why she kept Melody’s hoodie on the pillow; she replied it was because she “misses Melody.”

  • Quote (Tyler):

    “…she has a body pillow with Melody's hoodie and pants on it, like, dressed like Melody. And that's what's on her couch. So she basically has like a little shrine to Melody..."
    (11:51)

  • Quote (Ashleigh):

    “To say the least, it is extremely disconcerting that she's dressed a pillow up as her daughter while her daughter's missing, and she refuses to say anything to authorities.”
    (13:58)

6. Interactions with Authorities

• After Tyler’s initial visits, he was stopped by police and instructed to report any information regarding Melody to authorities.
• Ashley grew increasingly paranoid, accusing Tyler of being undercover, recording him, and spiraling into conspiracy theories.

7. Family and Social Context

• Ashley’s older daughter, Destiny, was taken from her as a child due to Ashley’s longstanding mental health struggles.
• Ashley reportedly “would rather Melody be in a group home or foster home than to be anywhere near either side of her family.”
  (17:29)

8. Ashley’s Recent Behavior

• Ashley has been observed packing up her home, receiving numerous packages, and deleting online accounts (Amazon, email, banking).

• She cited fears of "being hacked" and "traced", demonstrating heightened paranoia.

• Many packed boxes reportedly contain Melody’s items, though the reasoning for giving these items away is, according to Tyler, inconsistent.

  • Quote (Tyler):

    “She was asking me if my nieces could benefit from the clothing. And my nieces are Melody's age, so for her to say that Melody had outgrown them, but she wants to give them to my nieces, makes no sense.”
    (18:51)

9. Reference to Casey Anthony

• Ashley acknowledged public comparisons to Casey Anthony, attempting to deflect by saying, “Well, at least I’m not partying.”

  • Quote (Tyler):

    “She, like, joked and was like, well, at least I'm not partying. But look what Casey Anthony was accused of. Like, do you not realize what you just said?”
    (20:16)

10. Refusal to Confirm Melody’s Status

• Tyler asked Ashley directly if Melody was alive or dead; she deflected with emotional outbursts and never gave a straight answer.

  • Quote (Tyler):

    “She starts doing her fake crying, acting like she can't believe that I asked her such a question, but she never… answered the question.”
    (21:16)

• Tyler, pressed by Ashleigh, says he does not believe Ashley’s story about the zoo couple or that Melody is alive, though he wants to hold onto hope.

  • Quote (Tyler):

    “The fact that she won't give me a clear yes or no answer makes me extremely uncomfortable... I think that she should have been found by now if she was alive.”
    (23:10)

11. False Imprisonment Incident

• Tyler recounts Ashley blocking his exit while visibly agitated, with a box cutter at hand. He asked to leave three times.
• Ashleigh expresses disbelief that the judge dismissed Tyler’s false imprisonment case.
  • Quote (Tyler):

    "...she looked like the Annabelle doll, just, like, the way she was looking at me... with an open box cutter next to her... her demeanor, the way she was compared to how I knew her from the past." (24:01)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Ashleigh, on the judge’s decision:

  "I do not believe what the judge said, that you were not threatened... I personally believe anybody who is free to leave doesn't say those things. They just say, 'I'm leaving'." (03:37)

• Tyler, on Ashley's explanation:

  "She ended up going on a road trip at the instructions of individuals that she barely even knows... It's bizarre. It makes no sense." (04:18)

• On the 'shrine':

  "She basically has like a little shrine to Melody on her couch." (11:51)

• On Ashley’s mental state and behavior:

  "She was prepping to be arrested for Melody's disappearance, so she wanted me to have copies of her keys so once she's arrested, I can come empty out her storage on her house so she doesn't lose all of her belongings." (17:56)

• On refusal to confirm Melody’s fate:

  "She starts doing her fake crying... but she never answered the question." (21:16)

Important Timestamps

• [03:37] Ashleigh challenges the judge’s dismissal of Tyler’s case and recaps the incident
• [04:18] Tyler details Ashley’s bizarre story about dropping off Melody with a zoo couple
• [07:05] Tyler explains the continually changing drop-off plans and paranoia
• [11:51] Tyler paints unsettling picture of Ashley’s house and the Melody 'shrine'
• [13:58] Discussion of Ashley’s paranoia, shrine, and interactions with authorities
• [17:56] Tyler unpacks Ashley’s fear and preparations for possible arrest
• [20:16] Discussion of Casey Anthony comparison
• [21:16] Ashley deflects direct questions on Melody’s fate
• [23:10] Tyler expresses doubt about Melody being alive
• [24:01] Tyler recounts being prevented from leaving by Ashley

Conclusion & Host’s Perspective

Ashleigh ends the episode expressing deep disbelief that the judge dismissed Tyler’s case given the clear evidence of false imprisonment. She underscores the urgency and fear that Ashley might disappear permanently with Melody if not kept under tighter surveillance. The episode closes with Ashleigh’s commitment to keeping the story in the public eye to seek justice and answers for Melody.

Ashleigh Banfield:

"We're going to stay on this story... Keep pushing for answers about where Melody is and about who last saw her alive and when and where... The truth isn't just serious, it's drop dead serious."
(26:07)

For listeners: This episode offers disturbing, firsthand insight into the erratic and suspicious behavior of Ashley Buzzard, the last known person with Melody. The details from Tyler Brewer are both revealing and troubling, offering more questions than answers in the mysterious disappearance of Melody Buzzard.