Preliminary Hearing Set for June 22 in Vandenberg Village Mother's Murder Case

A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for June 22 in the case of Ashlee Buzzard, a 40-year-old Vandenberg Village mother charged with the murder of her 9-year-old daughter, Melodee. During a brief court appearance on Wednesday in Lompoc, Buzzard waived her right to a speedy trial through September, and the judge set the preliminary hearing date.

The hearing, which will take place in Santa Maria due to the presiding judge's reassignment, will allow both the prosecution and defense to present evidence. The judge will then determine whether there is probable cause to uphold the charges, which include first-degree murder, a special allegation of discharge of a firearm causing death, and a special circumstance of murder by lying in wait.

If the judge finds insufficient evidence, some or all charges could be dismissed. Buzzard, who appeared handcuffed in a gray cardigan, floral shirt, and earplugs, has been held without bail at the Northern Branch Jail since her arrest in December.

Her oldest daughter was present in the courtroom. Prosecutors allege that Buzzard took Melodee on a multi-day road trip to Utah, where she shot and killed her and left her body in a remote area.

During the trip, authorities say, both mother and daughter wore wigs, and Buzzard swapped the license plate on her rental car at least once before returning to Lompoc on October 10 without her daughter. The search for Melodee began on October 14 when school administrators reported her prolonged absence.

Buzzard was uncooperative with investigators from the start. In a previous hearing, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown stated that cartridge cases found at the Utah crime scene were positively linked to an expended cartridge case found at Buzzard's home on Mars Avenue, and a live round of similar ammunition was found inside her rental car.

Melodee's body was discovered in early December, with positive identification leading to Buzzard's arrest later that month. KSBY Community Reporter Crystal Bermudez, who has covered the case since Melodee was first reported missing, will be in the courtroom on June 22 and will provide updates throughout the day.