Podcast Summary: OUTRAGEOUS: Ashlee Buzzard Walks Free While 9-Year-Old Melodee Buzzard Is Still Missing

Podcast: Drop Dead Serious With Ashleigh Banfield

Host: Ashleigh Banfield
Date: November 13, 2025

Overview

This episode provides an in-depth update on the disturbing case of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, who has been missing for over a month. Ashleigh Banfield discusses the sudden and controversial release of Melodee’s mother, Ashlee Buzzard, from jail amidst troubling behavior and unanswered questions. The episode features firsthand reporting, legal analysis, and interviews with those closely involved, all delivered in Banfield's signature irreverent, incisive style.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Ashlee Buzzard’s Release from Jail

• Surprising Turn of Events: Ashlee, mother of missing Melodee, is back home despite her daughter’s disappearance, wearing an ankle monitor after being released on a false imprisonment charge.
  • “While we still don't know where Melody is, her mother, Ashley Buzzard, is suddenly back home … not searching, she's not pleading for help, she's not standing in front of cameras begging for her daughter's safe return.” (00:35)
• False Imprisonment Charge: She was jailed for allegedly imprisoning Tyler Brewer, a local paralegal, but released after five days when deemed not a flight risk.
• Public and Legal Outrage: Banfield and guests question the judge’s decision, citing Ashlee’s odd behavior, including switching wigs and license plates on a road trip during which Melodee disappeared.
  • “Don't even get me started here. Ashley Buzzard, not a flight risk... Who does that? But people who want to stay under the radar. Not a flight risk. I don't get it either.” (02:13)

2. Role of Tyler Brewer, the Paralegal

• Brewer allegedly trapped in Ashlee’s home and subjected to distressing behavior after Ashley shared information about Melodee’s supposed whereabouts.
  • “…Ashley told him her daughter Melody was dropped off in Utah and says she even identified the person with whom the child was supposedly left. Here's the problem. He won't share those details with us…” (07:06)
• Brewer reported Ashlee to police, citing his “duty to report” as a paralegal.
• Details of his ordeal: Brewer describes Ashlee producing a box cutter and refusing to let him leave. (08:04)

3. Mental Health and Custody Issues

• Ashlee’s mental health concerns are well-known to family and authorities.
• Melody’s paternal grandmother has been seeking custody for years, citing Ashlee’s erratic and potentially dangerous behavior.
  • “She has a record being in... the loony hospital in Camarillo twice. What else? ...I knew ever since the first time I met her. I knew something was wrong with her.” – Melody’s grandmother, Lily Dennis (15:29)
• Speculation that Ashlee has shielded Melodee from paternal relatives to avoid losing custody, possibly spurring her disappearance.

4. On-the-Ground Reporting & Community Response

• Live observations as Ashlee returns home: seen wearing a wig and ankle monitor, avoiding all media questions.
  • “We saw Ashley Buzzard...she walked inside...she had that long wig on and it's almost like a cloak for her or something. She's hiding behind all that hair... So she's definitely in hiding. The neighbors are all on watch.” – Nancy Liu (08:27)
• Neighborhood and relatives are “watching this house like hawks.”

5. Legal Arguments and Public Frustration

• At court, the prosecutor argued Ashlee is a flight risk given her actions (wig-changing, switching plates), but the judge permitted release.
• Public defender stressed Ashlee’s lack of criminal record and described the false imprisonment as non-violent, though the box cutter was cited as evidence to the contrary. (11:37)
• Relatives, including paternal grandmother, express disbelief and anger at the release and ongoing lack of answers.
  • “They let her go. And they didn't even brought anything about the baby missing... So I'm really mad. Honest to God, I don't understand the law.” – Lily Dennis (15:21)

6. Media Perspective and Continuing Investigation

• The episode underscores the urgency of finding Melodee and the perplexing lack of progress.
  • “This case just keeps getting more strange and more heartbreaking by the minute. And still, nobody knows where this little girl is. Well, no one, maybe, except Ashley Buzzard.” (17:14)
• Banfield promises ongoing coverage, pending Ashlee's next court date (Nov 19th).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Bizarre Nature of the Case:
  • “It's been a month and three days since her little nine year old girl was last seen... But Ashley Buzzard hasn't given so much as a clue as to where little Melody might be. At least not to the police, she hasn't.” – Ashleigh Banfield (01:21)
• On Ashlee’s Use of Wigs:
  • “I am not making fun of wigs... but her wearing a wig is a different animal. Given that ... she's switching wigs. And so to people in true crime, that suggests she uses them to obscure her appearance, not necessarily for fashion.” – Ashleigh Banfield (03:27)
• On the Community’s Vigilance:
  • “She's going to be under a microscope in this neighborhood. Everyone is aware that she is back home. They're going to be watching this house like hawks.” – Nancy Liu (13:55)
• On Family Concerns:
  • “Her primary focus is Melody... She has to be out there somewhere. And, you know, they're trying to keep hope and positivity alive.” – Nancy Liu relaying Lily Dennis’ (grandmother) sentiments (15:51)
• On Systemic Frustration:
  • “I cannot believe the judge didn't feel that she was a flight risk. And I really hope that they don't regret this decision to let her out, you know, with an ankle monitor.” – Ashleigh Banfield (13:16)
• On the Stakes for Melodee:
  • “At this point, let's all hope that she's okay ... because this woman has displayed some of the most bizarre intransigent behavior.” – Ashleigh Banfield (16:15)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Ashleigh Banfield Recaps Case & Ashlee's Release – 00:35
• Explanation of 'Duty to Report' & Tyler Brewer’s Role – 04:33 – 08:04
• Interview: Nancy Liu Reporting from Lompoc – 08:20
• Courtroom Observations & Legal Arguments – 10:07 – 11:37
• Discussion of Ashlee’s Behavior and Public Reaction – 13:16
• Interview: Lily Dennis, Melodee’s Grandmother – 15:21
• Summing Up & Call for Continued Vigilance – 17:14

Conclusion

Ashleigh Banfield delivers a gripping, unfiltered overview of both the baffling legal decisions and the haunting unknowns surrounding Melodee Buzzard’s disappearance. The episode captures community concern, legal complexities, and family heartache, while raising pressing questions about the system’s ability to protect vulnerable children. The search for Melodee continues, with Banfield pledging to provide the latest developments as they unfold.

Next court date for Ashlee Buzzard: November 19th.
Central unresolved question: Will Ashlee Buzzard face charges directly related to her missing daughter?

“The truth isn’t just serious—it’s drop dead serious.”—Ashleigh Banfield