Melodee Buzzard GoFundMe deleted as 9-year-old’s family slam fake fundraising initiatives online

A GoFundMe campaign launched for honoring Melodee Buzzard, 9, is no longer accessible. The fundraiser was deleted after the 9-year-old’s family revealed that they hadn’t created any such page. 

Lizabeth Meza, Melodee Buzzard’s paternal aunt, asserted in a Facebook post on Tuesday, December 23, that the family has not started any GoFundMe. She asked everyone to refrain from donating to the unverified fundraisers. In another Facebook post, Lizabeth wrote: 

“There are a few ‘Go fund Me’ going around but these are not created by the family . Please contact us directly if you would like to donate or help. We will keep you all posted as this is fresh and we are still processing the news .” 

Melodee Buzzard went missing in October after she reportedly went on a road trip with her mother, Ashlee, 40. The nine-year-old’s deceased body was discovered in early December. After DNA analysis confirmed a familial match to Ashlee Buzzard, she was arrested and charged with first-degree murder of her daughter. 

The 40-year-old accused was arraigned on Friday, December 26, at Santa Barbara County Superior Court, where she pleaded not guilty. 

More about the disappearance and murder investigation of Melodee Buzzard

Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office started searching for the nine-year-old missing at-risk child after a school administrator reported her prolonged absence. Deputies found Ashlee Buzzard at her 500 block of Mars Avenue residence in Lompoc, California, but Melodee was not there. 

The subsequent investigations revealed that the mother and daughter went on a three-day road trip in a rental car, a white 2024 Chevrolet Malibu. According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office, a multi-state travel route included California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Wyoming and Nebraska, with a return route also including Kansas and Colorado. 

The subsequent investigations revealed that Ashlee allegedly switched the license plates on the rental vehicle to evade identification. CCTV footage showed that Melodee was last seen alive on video on October 9 at a gas station near the Colorado-Utah border. Ashlee and her nine-year-old daughter appeared to have worn wigs. 

On December 6, a couple reported discovering a decomposed body in a remote area of Wayne County. The authorities in Wayne County notified the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office on December 8. It was confirmed that the deceased was female and died from gunshot wounds to the head. The authorities were able to link the cartridge cases recovered in Utah with those found at Ashlee Buzzard’s Mars Avenue residence.

A lab analysis from the FBI confirmed a DNA match to Ashlee on December 22, and she was arrested on the following day. She is being held without bail, Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office confirmed. The 40-year-old is facing a "first-degree murder with a special allegation" charge, but pleaded not guilty in court. Her next hearing is on January 7, 2026. 

Santa Barbara County District Attorney's Office confirmed that Ahslee also "denied all special allegations including that the murder was committed by means of lying in wait," NBC reported. The prosecutors are seeking life in prison with parole, while the investigators have claimed to have uncovered a "significant amount of evidence" indicating that Ashlee murdered her daughter.