More information in the case involving a Vandenberg Village mother charged in the death of her daughter is expected to come out in court within the next month.
During a hearing on Wednesday, a June 22 preliminary hearing date was set for Ashlee Buzzard, who also waived time in her case through September.
The prelim is an opportunity for both sides to present evidence to a judge, who will then make a ruling on whether there’s enough probable cause to uphold the charges against the 40-year-old and move her case forward to trial.
If the judge finds there is insufficient evidence to uphold the charges, some or all could be dismissed, which was the ruling made in a separate false imprisonment case involving Buzzard while the search for her daughter was underway last fall.
Wednesday's hearing was quick, with a handcuffed Buzzard in attendance in a Lompoc courtroom wearing a gray cardigan, floral shirt, and earplugs. Her oldest daughter was also in attendance.
Buzzard has been held without bail at the Northern Branch Jail since her Dec. 23 arrest. She has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, a special allegation of discharge of a firearm causing death, and a special circumstance of murder by lying in wait.
Prosecutors allege Buzzard took a multi-day road trip with her 9-year-old daughter, Melodee, and shot and killed her, leaving her body in a remote area of Utah.
Authorities say during the trip, Ashlee and Melodee wore wigs, and 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.
The search for Melodee began on Oct. 14 when school administrators in Lompoc notified authorities of the girl’s prolonged absence.
The sheriff’s office stated Ashlee was uncooperative with the investigation from the start, providing no information as to her daughter’s whereabouts.
During a press conference shortly after Buzzard’s arrest, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said cartridge cases found at the crime scene in Utah were positively linked to an expended cartridge case that was found at Ashlee's Mars Avenue home during one of the searches served there. The sheriff also added that "a live round of similar ammunition" was located inside a car rented by Buzzard.
Melodee’s body was discovered in early December. A positive identification came later that month, leading to her mother’s arrest.
While the majority of Buzzard’s court hearings have taken place in Lompoc, the preliminary hearing is scheduled for Santa Maria due to the presiding judge’s move to that courtroom.
KSBY Community Reporter Cystal Bermudez has been covering the case since Melodee was first reported missing. Crystal will be in the courtroom on June 22 and provide updates throughout the day as the hearing unfolds.
