False imprisonment charge dropped against Melodee Buzzard’s mom

November 21, 2025

By KAREN VELIE

A judge on Thursday dismissed the false imprisonment charge against40-year-old Ashlee Buzzard, the mother of missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, after it was determined there were discrepancies in the allegations.

Tyler Stuart Brewer, an acquaintance of Ashlee Buzzard, said she prevented him from leaving her home on Nov. 6. Prosecutors then charged her with one count of false imprisonment.

Based on a tape of the meeting Ashlee Buzzard made and Brewer’s testimony on Thursday, Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Stephen Dunkle dismissed the case because the audio did not provide enough evidence to charge her.

The Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office agreed that the evidence presented was not sufficient.

“One of the purposes of a preliminary hearing is to assess the evidence that may be offered at trial. In this case, after the initial report to law enforcement and the filing of the complaint, further investigation yielded additional evidence that was contradictory to the information that was initially provided to detectives,” the District Attorney’s Office said in a statement. “That evidence was brought out at the hearing and inconsistencies were examined by both sides. Ultimately, it was determined that the evidence was not sufficient to move this case forward to trial.”

A school administrator reported Melodee’s prolonged absence on Oct. 14. Deputies attempted to locate Melodee at her home in Lompoc, but she was not there. Ashlee Buzzard is not cooperating with investigators and has refused to say where Melodee is or how she is doing.

Melodee was last seen via video surveillance on Oct. 9, near the Colorado and Utah border.

Detectives, with the help of the FBI, continue to search for Melodee. Investigators are asking anyone who may have seen Melodee or had any contact with her in the past year to call (805) 681-4150.