Podcast Summary: Drop Dead Serious With Ashleigh Banfield

Episode: Melodee Buzzard Found Executed in the Desert, Mom Charged with Murder | Matt Murphy Breaks It Down

Date: January 2, 2026
Host: Ashleigh Banfield
Guest: Matt Murphy (former Senior Deputy DA, Orange County, CA)

Overview

This episode of Drop Dead Serious focuses on the tragic case of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, whose body was found shot multiple times in the desert outside Caneville, Utah. Melodee’s mother, Ashley Buzzard, has been arrested and charged with her murder. Ashleigh Banfield delivers a deeply personal, frank, and at times, irreverent analysis of the case, joined by prosecutorial veteran Matt Murphy, as they dive into the evidence, legal nuances, and the larger failures that might have contributed to this unspeakable crime.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Case Timeline and Initial Discovery

• Melodee Buzzard went missing in October from Lompoc, California.
• The child's disappearance was first flagged by Melodee’s school, which noted missing assignments and a lack of contact.
• Ashleigh recounts: "It was Melodee's school that reported that Melodee and her mom had not picked up her assignments. Red flag...” (03:09)
• When police checked, Ashley Buzzard had no plausible answer for Melodee’s whereabouts and was “nasty” to officers.
• Surveillance footage confirmed Ashley had taken Melodee on a multi-state trip in a rental car—returning alone after three days, with both seen in wigs on camera.
• On December 6th, two people photographing the area near Caneville, Utah, discovered Melodee’s decomposed remains.
• Identification was only possible through DNA (due to decomposition); the cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds to the head.

2. Evidence Trail and Forensic Breakthroughs

• The investigation’s lynchpin: advanced forensic science, particularly NIBIN (National Integrated Ballistic Information Network), matching shell casings from the crime scene, Ashley's home, and a bullet found in the rental car.
  • Matt Murphy: "There's a system called NIBIN...this will probably be the first big case with...the national ballistics database that they were able to take..." (12:14)
  • "We have a trifecta of evidence...an expended shell casing found in her house, ...at the scene that match. And then...an unexpended bullet in the rental car. In law enforcement, that's what we call a clue." – Matt Murphy (13:54)
• Both hosts marvel that evidence remained in the rental car after its return and cleaning, drawing a parallel to the Aaron Hernandez case.

3. Legal Charges -- Murder, Enhancements, and Special Circumstances

• Ashley is charged with first-degree murder of a child—no bail.
• Case includes gun enhancement under California’s 1020 Life Bill (25 years to life for firearm use resulting in death) and special circumstance of "lying in wait" (ambush).
• Matt explains: "If you ambush somebody, that's a recognized special circumstance, which means she's not entitled to bail...life without possibility of parole." (15:10)
• Discussion also covers ongoing moves in California and Washington toward eliminating life without parole—a prospect both Ashleigh and Matt find troubling in such cases.

4. Why No Death Penalty?

• Santa Barbara DA announced they’re not seeking the death penalty, a choice Matt supports given California’s execution moratorium and the complexities of death-qualified trials.
  • "Death cases...we would seek death in less than 4% of the cases that came before us." – Matt Murphy (17:50)
  • Matt predicts Melodee’s case, despite its horror, is unlikely to qualify due to its intra-family/domestic violence component and possible indications of mental illness that don’t reach legal insanity.

5. Insanity Defense: Legal Standards and Realities

• Both hosts debunk the notion that "crazy" automatically equals legal insanity.
  • "You cover your tracks. You ain't not guilty of insanity." – Ashleigh Banfield (08:35)
  • Matt Murphy outlines the McNaughton Rule (California’s standard): If you understand the nature and quality of your acts or know right from wrong, you’re legally sane.
  • Actions like disguises, renting a car, and attempts to hide the crime demonstrate Ashley Buzzard knew her actions were wrong.
  • "Whatever social workers went and did talk to the mom...whoever made the decision that she was competent enough to homeschool her child...that's going to come back to bite her in the sanity phase..." (36:36)

6. Systemic Failures and Red Flags

• Both hosts express frustration over missed opportunities for intervention:
  • Homeschooling used to isolate Melodee.
  • Lack of social services follow-up ("Where was social services?" – 27:46).
  • Ashleigh notes comparison to the Lori Vallow case, where police demanded the children’s whereabouts more aggressively.
  • Matt: "Anybody out there who has bad inclinations to their children, what's the first thing they do? They take them out of school." (27:46)

7. Jurisdictional Issues: Why Not Utah?

• Murder likely occurred in Utah, but case is being prosecuted in California; Matt speculates this was a matter of resource allocation and behind-the-scenes agency discussion.
  • Utah's harsher penalties (including firing squad) are discussed but deemed unlikely in this case.

8. Family Dynamics and Missed Opportunities for Guardianship

• Melodee’s late father’s family repeatedly sought custody or visitation but was denied by Ashley Buzzard.
  • "If she didn't want the child, that was an easy exit strategy. She could have easily ceded this child over to her late father's family..." – Ashleigh Banfield (38:16)
• Matt confirms this would be damaging in trial, showing the mother had alternate, non-violent options.

9. What’s Next? Competency, Defense Strategy, and Timeline

• Ashley likely to be defended by a public defender, which in Santa Barbara could still mean a skilled advocate.
• Anticipation that Ashleigh’s defense will challenge her competency (her ability to assist in her own defense), which is separate from the insanity plea.
  • Ashleigh: "I guarantee you that lawyer is going to come forward and say, I can't get her to help me...I think there'll be a competency issue." (48:58)
• Matt describes the process ("declaring a doubt"), involving psychiatric evaluation, possible stays in state mental hospitals, and inevitable delays ("tends to take a while," 45:50).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Forensic Evidence:
  • "We have a kniven match, like you said. We have a trifecta of evidence ... That's what we call a clue." – Matt Murphy (13:54)
• On the Pain of Child Victims:
  • “If she's guilty of this murder, I fully expect that there was so much abuse, multiple layers of it, emotional, psychological, probably physical abuse in that house. And yet those children still, you know, revere these parents." – Ashleigh Banfield (25:26)
• On Legal Insanity:
  • “You are not automatically insane just because you're crazy. You don't want your kid anymore. There, it gets a lot deeper than that.” – Ashleigh Banfield (08:08)
  • “You can be wacky, you can be out to lunch... However, the standard for legal insanity in the state of California... is if you understand the nature and quality of your actions, you are legally responsible.” – Matt Murphy (19:17)
• On Systemic Responsibility:
  • "Anybody out there who has bad inclinations to their children, what's the first thing they do? They take them out of school. So flag number one..." – Ashleigh Banfield (27:46)
• On Jury Manipulation Tactics:
  • “Some defense lawyers will have their client pumped up on Thorazine. They look a thousand times more mental than they actually are... As soon as that verdict came back, he wiped his friggin lip and smiled at his lawyer. And in my opinion, that guy conned the jury.” – Matt Murphy, example from past case (31:25 - 33:24)
• On Public Defenders:
  • “She's gonna get a very experienced public defender from Santa Barbara. And... a lot of public defenders are excellent.” – Matt Murphy (42:54)
• On Justice for Melodee:
  • “The truth isn't just serious, it's drop dead serious.” – Ashleigh Banfield (end)

Important Timestamps

• 03:09: Ashleigh details the initial red flags and Ashley Buzzard’s uncooperativeness
• 10:23–13:54: Matt Murphy explains the NIBIN forensic breakthrough (shell casing matches, ballistic evidence)
• 14:46–16:56: Gun enhancement and special circumstances explained; no parole discussion
• 17:22–20:47: Death penalty process in California; mental health vs. legal insanity
• 25:26–28:32: Dynamics of child trust, system failures, social services gaps
• 31:25–34:42: Jury tactics, insanity phase, example of past legal manipulation
• 38:16–41:45: Grandmother’s role, missed opportunity for family guardianship, public vs. private defense
• 42:54–48:28: Likely defense strategy, competency processes, expected delays
• 48:58: Ashleigh predicts a prolonged process based on likely competency challenges

Tone & Style

• Ashleigh is frank, empathetic, and at times irreverently blunt—particularly about mothers who murder their children and the failures of child protection systems.
• Matt Murphy is analytical, seasoned, and offers both legal expertise and heartfelt outrage, especially in matters involving children.

Conclusion

This episode provides a comprehensive, emotionally charged breakdown of Melodee Buzzard’s case—examining hard evidence, legal maneuvering, and broader questions of justice and systemic failure. Ashleigh and Matt’s discussion is both highly informative for true crime followers and a call for deeper accountability in protecting vulnerable children. Listeners are left anticipating future developments, particularly around the defense’s likely insanity/competency claims and the larger implications for child welfare oversight.