← Drop Dead Serious With Ashleigh Banfield
Drop Dead Serious With Ashleigh Banfield
FBI Raids Home of Missing 9-Year-Old Melodee Buzzard, Mom Trashes Missing Posters
00:26:02
Loading summary
Transcript45 lines
- [00:00]
A
Foreign.
- [00:05]
B
Hey, everybody, I'm Ashley Banfield and this is Drop dead Serious. And the shoe just dropped. The shoe just dropped in California. And Ashley Buzzard can't hide anymore. She cannot stonewall the police anymore about her missing nine year old girl, Melody. I have some big news to show you and some really unsettling video. It turns out this mother doesn't seem to want to find this little girl because she's been ripping down the signs of her missing posters for her girl. Police also showed up with guns. At least we think they're police. Be interested to hear what you think when you see the video. We have been talking about Melody Buzzard for weeks now. She's that little nine year old California girl who for all intents and purposes is missing. Her school district says she's missing. Her extended family, they say she's missing. The only person who doesn't seem to say she's missing is her mother, Ashley. Ashley Buzzard. In fact, Ashley's not saying anything at all, even when Child Protective services and the police show up at her door demanding to know where the little girl is. Crickets. The last anybody saw Melody, the Little girl was October 7th at a car rental agency with her mom. They were headed on a road trip to Nebraska, police say. But after three days, Ashley returned home from that road trip by way of coming through Kansas. And Melody, her little girl, no longer with her. And now suddenly there's breaking news in the case out of Lompoc, California. The FBI has just blocked off the home of Ashley and Melody Buzzard. I'm recording this podcast the day before Halloween on October 30, 2025. And FBI agents have been search house for hours and they brought a dog with them too, a canine to help look for evidence. I can't tell you if it's a canine cadaver dog or if it's another kind of canine because they do have specialties. But as it turns out, the house isn't the only place that agents are searching. Three different searches are going on tonight. Law enforcement, they've been combing through a storage locker and they've also been searching the rental car that Melody was last seen in with her mother. God forbid that the rental agency didn't clean that car so well. There's nothing left because, you know, that's what happens. You bring your rental car back, you drive it into the long line and they usually check you out right away and they try to get it back, you know, circulating pretty quickly. And we know that it took some time, right? We know it took time, like at least four days before school officials reported Melody missing. And police went back three days and found the video at the car rental place where they took the car out with Melody in it, but came back three days later and she wasn't there. I don't know if they're going to have a car that wasn't cleaned. I don't know if there's any forensics left in that rental car. But you know what? Stranger things have happened. I saw Blue Bubblegum bust something wide open in a rental car before. But according to police, Melody's mother, Ashley has been, quote, escorted to an alternate location that would not interfere with their ability to conduct a thorough search. An alternate location. Wonder what that means. An alternate location. Escorted. I think she was grabbed and taken because the video shows them showing up at her door today and she's got a bag packed and they take her. I'll get to that in a minute. Weirdly, the police are still calling this a missing person's investigation. Maybe that's a good thing, right? I didn't want to change this to a murder investigation. The FBI is on this and thick. Melody's extended family is going to speak with me in just a moment. But some really strange things were happening at Ashley Buzzard's home yesterday. And today a neighbor spotted Ashley walking from the street up to her yard, right where the grass meets the sidewalk. And you can see that there's a line of missing posters that had been fixed along the. Along that yard, along the sidewalk. I have no idea who it was who placed those signs in her yard because in most cases, it's the children's parents or family members who do that. Right? But I am not so sure in this case. I mean, given what you're about to see. Ashley tearing all the signs down of her missing daughter, all the missing posters, ripping them up, gathering up them into her arms like garbage and carting it away to the house. Let this sink in for a minute. This is a mother and she does not want people to see missing persons posters of her daughter. Not even Lori Valow did that. And she's a killer four times over. So Ashley did that little dog and pony show outside her house yesterday. And then early this morning, something else happened at the house. Two men showed up on Ashley's doorstep, presumably asking about Melody. It is not entirely clear who they were because they weren't saying, but they clearly had guns in holsters on their belts and they sure did appear to be plain clothed cops. At least I've been in the business for a while. That's kind of what they look like. Am I certain that's what they were? No. But soon after they showed up at her doorstep. Ashley was then escorted to this unmarked van carrying what appeared to be an overnight bag. And then she was driven away. So you tell me, what do you think that is? You think that's just some, you know, gangsters? They sure look like undercover cops. Plain clothes, right? They had the body type, they had the holsters, and they weren't pulling her along. Looked like she was going along. And usually authority has that effect on you. There's this independent journalist who posts on TikTok under the handle Renee and Joe. And that user went to the police station and said that they learned Ashley has been brought to court. She was actually brought into a court hearing, but that she never returned home. So tonight, it's entirely unclear where Ashley Buzzard is or what kind of alternative location she. She was taken to and is cooling her heels. I have some thoughts on it though, big ones, and in a little bit I'm gonna like, just lay it all out. And it's not pleasant about where Ashley Buzzard is right now, but a week ago, two other men whom the Daily Mail identified as plainclothes police visited Ashley's home and they handed her some kind of a form. And what'd she do? She slammed the door in their face. So if you haven't followed this mystery, I've got so much background on it, you can just check out my playlist on this case and that's going to be in the description that'll get you up to speed. But Ashley Buzzard has kept her now nine year old daughter away from her extended family for four years and she's kept her away from the school for at least several months. It was in fact the local school district in Santa Barbara that blew the whistle and reported Melody missing. That was two weeks ago. Police then started looking into it and they got video of Melody and her mom at the local car rental agency. That was October 7th, so follow this timeline. Melody in the pictures that they released is seen wearing a hooded sweatshirt. And the police say they think she's wearing a wig. I wasn't so sure of that, but they said her mom is known to wear wigs and for some reason they believed she was wearing a wig. They know more than I do. Police learned that Melody and her mom set out that day, October 7th, for this Nebraska road trip. And they got there and there was a report that Melody was seen with her mom in. In Nebraska. But Ashley left Nebraska and drove through Kansas, arriving home in California three days later. No Melody comes home without her daughter. She's nine. She's not looking after herself. Somewhere along the road, she's nine. Since Ashley got home on the 10th, October 10th, Ashley has holed up in her home in the town of Lompoc.
- [08:52]
C
And refused to speak to police or.
- [08:54]
B
To reporters or to relatives of Melody's dad. And Melody's dad passed away six months after she was born. Melody's grandmother, Ashley's mother, she's not talking either. She's been like real stonewall to us. I don't know about the police. That could be a different story. But at first, when she was looking for her granddaughter Melody, she was talking to the press. Now nothing, not a word. So maybe she knows there's something awry and her daughter could be in trouble. Right, her daughter Ashley, the mother of Melody, could be in trouble. This is not to say that this missing girl's mom, Ashley, has been invisible. The Daily Mail actually said she ventured out a week ago, attempting two separate times to rent another car. And both times the Daily Mail said she was refused. Earlier on my News Nation show, I talked to two relatives of Ashley Buzzard, relatives that Ashley cut off years ago. They have tried to make contact with this little girl and again, stonewalled by mom. Corinna Meza is Melody's sister and Lizabeth Meza is Melody's aunt. Here's our conversation.
- [10:11]
C
Obviously, there's a lot of breaking information that's happening and this search is going on right now at Ashley Buzzard's house. There's a canine search at the house. They're searching a storage locker. They're also searching the rental car. Are police or authorities keeping you in the loop as to any of what's going on?
- [10:33]
A
Not really. We spoke to the news girl that's been following it. She called and just let us know what was going on and that Ashley was actually not arrested or detained. She was moved out of the home so they could search. But as far as as detectives, we've called, left messages and they haven't returned any calls. So we've been in the dark.
- [11:00]
C
So what do you make of this imagery that we've got now? The FBI is there. We've seen plain clothes police officers showing up and taking her with a packed bag in a van. Do you have any idea what might.
- [11:15]
B
Be going on here?
- [11:19]
A
No idea. I mean, they must have probable cause to be searching, obviously. Maybe she said something. I mean, I don't know, it's all speculation at this point. We're just waiting for her to let us know where Melody is so we could bring her home safe.
- [11:38]
C
I mean, that is the goal of everyone. The police who are working on this, the neighbors who are keeping, keeping an eye on what's going on out in front of that house. There was that other video that I just played early on about showing Ashley Buzzard taking down all of those missing child posters that were out on the front, you know, front sidewalk out in.
- [12:02]
B
Front of her house.
- [12:03]
C
It just breaks my heart to see video like this. And I can't imagine what this is.
- [12:07]
B
Like for you guys.
- [12:11]
A
It was extremely hard to watch that because I know my niece went out there, my mother in law and family members and put signs up there, not only for the community to see it, but for Ashley to remember that you have this beautiful daughter and we want her back, we want her safe. And for her to just rip them down like they didn't mean anything, it's definitely heartbreaking.
- [12:36]
C
So I am, I'm curious about what you said about those who set those posters up. Do you know specifically who put the posters out that she's tearing down?
- [12:46]
A
I'm not like exactly which ones. My niece Karina did.
- [12:51]
D
I myself did put a poster up.
- [12:57]
C
So do you, do either of you know if Ashley put any of those posters up? I mean, it's her daughter and I've been in this business a long time. You cannot keep a mother away from the press or police when their child is missing. They're clamoring for attention. They're clamoring for information. They're handing out the flyers themselves. They are not tearing, you know, signs down.
- [13:24]
A
Yeah, no, she did not put any of those up. She didn't, but she ripped them all down.
- [13:33]
C
It's really distressing to see that. And again, here's this other video of the van showing up with the officers. Are the neighbors able to give you any further information about what they could hear? Because you can see some of the neighbors out front there and they're sort of within earshot of what's happening. Were they able to shed any information about what happened when these officers? Well, I'm going to just call them what appear to be officers because we don't know for sure if they're officers. But did you hear anything about what.
- [14:01]
B
Was said.
- [14:04]
A
Like the conversation that they had with her?
- [14:08]
C
Well, either the conversation or could, could anybody hear out on the street or the sidewalk what these officers were saying when they were on location?
- [14:20]
A
No, I haven't heard of anything, what they were talking about or to her? No, they wouldn't. The officers wouldn't even respond when they were asked what agency they were from. They wouldn't even respond to the question.
- [14:37]
C
And no one could overhear what was being said to Ashley either as they were arriving or doing this, taking her out?
- [14:46]
A
Not that I'm aware of.
- [14:51]
C
So Corinna and Elizabeth let me know about the past because this is not the first time that Ashley Buzzard has had troubles and has had Melody taken away from her. Can you walk me back to those days and what happened when it was and what the circumstances were when Melody was taken away from her?
- [15:13]
A
I'm not sure on, like, the exact reasons why she was taken. Taken away. I can only speak on what. When I talked to Ashley. Previously on why her other child was taken away. But as far as why Melody was, I'm not sure. I was told it was because she attempted suicide and her mental state was completely unstable and her. It was just declining. And so that's why she was taken away, but that's what I was told.
- [15:48]
C
And Corinna, as her sister, this has got to be so heartbreaking. I think I've read accounts in the past that you have made overtures, you've knocked on the door, you've asked if you could help, if there's something that you can do if your sister Melody has everything she needs. Can you walk me through some of those experiences?
- [16:11]
B
Yeah.
- [16:12]
D
So I just been trying to make contact with Ashley to get answers and hoping that she would tell me something as to where Melody may be or if she's okay.
- [16:31]
C
And did you get any kind of response at all?
- [16:36]
B
No.
- [16:39]
C
What happened when you knocked on the door? Would she actually come to the door? Would she talk through the door? Would she open the door? Like, describe for me what your interactions were like.
- [16:52]
D
So there was one interaction that I did have with her going to the door. I was knocking. I waited for her to come out. I was probably there for about 30 minutes. She finally came out to do the laundry, and that is when the news reporter caught it on camera that I went and spoke with Ashley, asking her if she's okay, if Melody's okay, there's anything I could do for them. She did not answer any questions regarding Melody, only to let me know that everything has been hard on her and her mental health and that she didn't appreciate all the tent, all the attention she's been getting and the fact that I was there and knocking at the door when she didn't want to answer.
- [17:54]
C
Did she seem hostile towards you?
- [18:00]
A
No, she.
- [18:03]
D
Doesn'T really have like much emotion, like very. Just straight face, like no emotion at all.
- [18:18]
C
Lizabeth, this notion that Ashley took Melody, if the surveillance pictures are what we hear they are, and that is that they're at a car rental agency in California and that that car drove all the way to Nebraska and back. Do you have any idea if Ashley Buzzard has a connection to Nebraska or if her daughter and I can't imagine this at nine years old, Melody has a connection to Nebraska?
- [18:53]
A
No, I have no idea. I mean, talking to her in the past, she never mentioned Nebraska. She never mentioned very much family or friends at all, actually. So when we heard Nebraska and Kansas, that was like shocking to us because she never talked about any other family besides her mom and her daughter and they're both local, so. No.
- [19:16]
C
Well, not suggesting that this is the reason, but it is a hub for trafficking, human trafficking, sex trafficking. And that would make me think that the police would be knocking on your door asking as many questions as they could about what you know about Ashley Buzzard and a connection to Nebraska. Have they been asking you for whatever information you might have about about this woman and her daughter?
- [19:44]
A
No. I talked to a detective probably about two weeks ago and it was very brief and he said he would keep us posted. And I actually called the Omaha Police Department to leave a message because I was getting tips sent in to me. So I had wanted to forward them and nobody has responded either. My mother in law has gone down to the detective, the sheriff's department to try to speak with them and we're getting no replies at all.
- [20:17]
C
So you got tips that people sent to you and you tried to give them to the local police who are searching for Melody and they weren't interested.
- [20:27]
A
Not that they weren't interested. They're just not replying. Like you leave a message on a voicemail and I haven't heard back anything.
- [20:35]
B
The search for Melody Buzzard isn't just a case anymore. It is a race, A race against time. And frankly, there is something that's been really bothering me ever since police brought up that little fact about Nebraska, a road trip to Nebraska. They told reporters the road trip to Nebraska was three days and that she came home alone without her kid. Here's why that bothers me. It is no secret, especially among law enforcement, that Nebraska is said to be a hub for sex traffickers and human traffickers. And when you think of Nebraska's geography, I mean, it makes sense. I just Google it right now. Have the map up. And this will make sense when I start explaining. Nebraska is located at the crossroads of Interstate 80 and numerous other interstates like I 29. And that kind of corridor makes it a central transit point for traffickers. They can move their victims quickly and easily across state lines. It's easy to get in and it's easy to get out of the state by using that crossroads. So it's a strategic location for traffickers. Authorities also say that Nebraska's urban centers like Omaha, Lincoln, they say they're high risk areas for sex trafficking. Their words, not mine. The state itself has a huge population of low wage workers, many of them from agricultural and meatpacking industries. And that many of those workers are either migrants or vulnerable populations with limited legal protections. Yeah, which means they're easily trafficked. Right. Super easy to pick them off and traffic them out. And on top of that, Nebraska draws huge sporting events. Those sporting events bring in millions of tourists, and that is a ripe environment for sex workers. So bring them in along those corridors. Sadly, the state is seen by traffickers to be a good place to work. Basically, you know, they think that there's weak penalties in Nebraska for traffickers, and it's a bit of a haven for bad guys doing bad things. It's estimated that close to a thousand people are sold for sex each month in Nebraska, with many of those people sold multiple times. It's not as though Nebraska's blind to this. Look, the traffickers may think it's an easy place with lax laws, but Nebraska, the state itself has tried to combat this problem. They established the Nebraska Human Trafficking Task Force, and there are organizations like Lily Haven that have stepped in to help victims in Nebraska with like, shelter and legal services and even just general support. Food, you know, the basics. But the fact remains it is a place to buy and sell people easily. And sometimes those people are children. So if I were a betting woman, and you know, I am those men who collected Ashley Buzzard and her little packed bag from her home today and then drove away with her in their van, my feeling is they plan to take her on yet another road trip, probably back to Nebraska, back to the latest place, the last place that they saw her with Melody or that Melody was seen alive with her mom. Right back to the place that Ashley was last seen before returning home without that little girl. If I had to hazard a guest, they have seized everything from her, every piece of electronics that they could flip when they went through that house. Right. Because a trip like that, if it were Actually, for a purpose like that, selling your child, that would have to be planned and it can be digitally. The Nebraska traffickers are all over it, right. They've been using all the latest in digital technology to up the ante and up the game in human trafficking and sex trafficking, Right. So you'd have had to find that somewhere and then you'd have had to make contact and then you'd have, you know, make a plan and maybe a drop off point, maybe even negotiate whether it's worth it. Right? So that likely, if it was planned, would have been planned on a phone or a laptop. So let's just hope and pray that if that's where they're going, let's just hope and pray if that's where police are taking this investigation, let's just hope and pray that the electronic trail or maybe the canine evidence, or maybe even Ashley Buzzard herself in the back seat will lead police straight to little Melody, alive and well and ready to come home, but home to a much safer and stable environment than she's been living with her mother. We're going to stay on this story, folks, you know it. We are just getting going as the police now encircle that home and start to dig for answers. I promise you we will let you know everything when we know it. I'm Ashley Banfield. Thank you so much for being here. And always remember, the truth isn't just serious, it's drop dead seriously.