Judge dismisses false imprisonment charge against Ashlee Buzzard, Melodee remains missing

The mother of missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard appeared in court today, where a judge dismissed the felony false imprisonment charge against her.

Ashlee Buzzard, 40, was arrested in early November for allegedly falsely imprisoning a man. She pleaded not guilty last week to the charges, unrelated to her daughter's disappearance, and was released from custody with a GPS monitor.

According to the Santa Barbara District Attorney's Office, the judge on Thursday did not find "sufficient probable cause to hold her to answer to the charged offense." Buzzard is also no longer required to wear the GPS monitor.

The man who claimed to be falsely imprisoned said he had been helping in the search for Melodee when Ashlee held him against his will. 

Melodee's disappearance can be documented back to Oct. 7, when surveillance video shows the mother-daughter duo wearing wigs while at a rental car lot.

The two left their Lompoc home in a rented 2024 white Chevy Malibu with the license plate 9MNG101, according to detectives.

Investigators believe Ashlee changed wigs throughout the road trip through Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and Nebraska. At one point, the Malibu was observed with a New York license plate, HCG9677.

The last time Melodee was seen, according to the sheriff's department, was on Oct. 9 as security camera video caught the pair driving across the Colorado-Utah border in a 2024 white Chevrolet Malibu.

Melodee's whereabouts remain unknown, with investigators saying that her mother, Ashlee, is not cooperating with the missing person investigation.