The case against a Vandenberg Village woman charged with murdering her young daughter went back before a Lompoc judge on Wednesday.
Ashlee Buzzard did not appear for the hearing due to an illness, her public defender told the court, but her absence did not delay the planned hearing.
Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Stephen Dunkle approved a motion by the defense to admonish anyone from the public who displays disruptive behavior in court.
Public defender Erica Sutherland, who is representing Buzzard, stated her client heard comments made by someone in the audience during the last hearing and was left feeling intimidated.
Judge Dunkle acknowledged that while it's an emotionally-charged case, the public must comply with courtroom rules. He stated that further disruptions from the public will result in contempt of court, which could lead to being banned from attending future hearings, fines or possible jail time.
The focus then turned to requested documents in the case. Sutherland stated she had received some discovery, but not all of it.
A future court date was set for March 4. Sutherland states she hopes to have received enough documents related to the case, including search warrants, by that time to set a preliminary hearing date.
It did not appear that any friends or family of Melodee's were in court for the latest hearing.
Buzzard has been in custody since her Dec. 23 arrest. Along with first-degree murder, the 40-year-old is also charged with a special circumstance of lying in wait and a special allegation of discharge of a firearm causing death. The body of her 9-year-old daughter, Melodee, was found in a rural area of Wayne County, Utah, in early December.
WATCH: Ashlee Buzzard charged with 'ruthless' killing of daughter
Authorities say she was shot in the head multiple times and that it’s believed the killing happened while the mother and daughter took a three-day road trip last October that spanned as far east as Nebraska.
During the search for Melodee, which began in mid-October and spanned multiple states, investigators said both mother and daughter wore wigs and that Ashlee also swapped out the license plate on her rental car at least once before returning home to Lompoc on Oct. 10 without her daughter.
Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown called the killing “ruthless and heartless,” adding it was “calculated, cold-blooded and criminally sophisticated premeditation.”
He also said that Buzzard remained uncooperative with the investigation even after her arrest, and would not provide information to authorities during the ongoing search for Melodee as to where her daughter could be.
The defense later requested that a gag order be placed on the sheriff’s office for the remainder of the criminal proceedings against Buzzard. The judge approved the order earlier this month that prohibits authorities from releasing additional details about the investigation to the public.
Buzzard has waived time through April, which means her preliminary hearing, where the judge will hear evidence in the case to determine whether to uphold the charges against the mother and move the case forward to trial, will not take place before May.
Buzzard has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail in the Northern Branch Jail in Santa Maria. Earlier this week, other family members of Melodee held memorial events for the girl, who would have turned 10 on Tuesday, Feb. 10.
Items belonging to the girl were also seen being removed from the home earlier this month. The real estate agency that oversees the Mars Avenue property told KSBY that through her attorney, Buzzard issued a 30-day notice to vacate in January. Feb. 2 marked the final day for items to be removed from the home.
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