Lucy Devine
Melodee Buzzard's grandmother has made concerning claims about her granddaughter, weeks on from her disappearance.
Melodee, nine, went missing in October, after she left her home with her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, on what appeared to be a road trip.
Buzzard returned from the trip on her own three days later, and, according to authorities, has not yet provided a 'verifiable explanation' as to where her daughter is.
Adding to the mystery surrounding Melodee's disappearance, both were spotted on CCTV footage during the road trip, in which they traveled more than 1,000 miles away from their home in California.
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In the footage, they appeared to be wearing wigs.
Meanwhile, the plate on Buzzard's rental car seems to change during the journey, before being returned to the rental company with its original plates.
Speaking of the footage of the pair, Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office said: "The footage corresponds to previously released still images and shows both Ashlee and Melodee wearing wigs. Investigators also believe that Ashlee swapped wigs throughout the trip, changing to a darker wig that is similar in color and style to the one Melodee was seen wearing. This change in appearance is believed to have been intentional to avoid recognition during travel."
They added: “The plate does not belong to the vehicle or Buzzard and is believed to have been used as a false or switched plate to avoid detection."
Since Melodee's disappearance, her grandmother Lilly Denes has spoken about her granddaughter, explaining that she had been asked to look after her while Buzzard was allegedly staying in a mental hospital.
According to Denes, the process of her adopting Melodee had started when Buzzard was released in 2021.
"We were so happy when social services called us and told us that they were gonna place the baby with us. You know, we were so happy," Denes told Fox News, claiming that Buzzard 'cut off' Melodee 'from the entire world' when she returned home.
"When I met her, my son brought her to the house. She looked so quiet, and she was following me with her eyes back and forth, and I told my son. 'Son, is this girl OK? She doesn't look like she's normal. Something's wrong with this lady'," she added.
"I know that maybe somebody out there in the world knows where my baby is. Somebody has to know."
Melodee was last seen on October 9. The nine-year-old was later reported by her school after they noticed she had not been active in the remote studying program that Buzzard had enrolled her in back in August.
An administrator asked the police to conduct a welfare check after a prolonged period of absence.
But when police headed over to the family home, there were no signs of Melodee. Meanwhile, Buzzard 'provided no verifiable explanation' for her daughter's whereabouts, adding that she 'has remained uncooperative and has not confirmed Melodee’s location or welfare'.
In a bizarre twist to the case, Buzzard was arrested for false imprisonment of a man named Tyler Brewer earlier this month.
According to Brewer, who visited Buzzard's home on November 6, Buzzard had allegedly produced a box cutter and refused to let him leave.
"Ms. Buzzard became visibly distressed after sharing information she appeared to regret disclosing," Brewer said in a statement.
"A box cutter was produced, and despite multiple requests to be allowed to exit the home, I was not immediately permitted to leave."
Buzzard entered a not guilty plea and is due back in court next week.
UNILAD has reached out to Buzzard's attorney for comment.