Ashlee Buzzard, the Vandenberg Village mother accused of killing her 9-year-old daughter, Melodee, was back in a Santa Maria courtroom on Monday, August 10 as her preliminary hearing is now just over a month away.
During the brief hearing, Buzzard’s defense attorney, Erica Sutherland, told the court there is still some outstanding discovery in the case but indicated she and prosecutor Jordan Lockey are continuing to work through it.
The court also revisited an accommodation previously approved for Buzzard to use a stress ball during her upcoming preliminary hearing.
Last month, Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Stephen Dunkle approved the defense request, with several security conditions.
A bailiff is expected to provide the stress ball at the beginning of proceedings and collect it afterward, and Buzzard will not be allowed to take it outside the courtroom. Buzzard’s hands must also remain visible either on the table or on her lap while she is using it.
During Monday’s hearing, Sutherland said someone with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office had suggested a stress ball containing a jelly-like substance. Sutherland raised concerns about that option, saying it could potentially break and create a mess.
The specific stress ball Buzzard will be allowed to use during the preliminary hearing did not appear to be finalized on Monday.
Buzzard is expected back in court on August 24. Her preliminary hearing remains scheduled for September 16.
A preliminary hearing allows prosecutors to present evidence before a judge, who will determine whether there is sufficient evidence to move the charges against Buzzard forward toward trial.
Buzzard, 40, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, a special allegation of discharge of a firearm causing death and a special circumstance of murder by lying in wait in connection with Melodee’s death.
She has been held without bail at the Northern Branch Jail since her arrest on December 23, 2025.
Prosecutors allege Buzzard took Melodee on a multi-day road trip through several states last October before shooting and killing her and leaving her body in a remote area of Utah.
Authorities previously said Buzzard and Melodee wore wigs during the trip and that Buzzard changed the license plate on her rental vehicle at least once before returning to her Vandenberg Village home without her daughter.
The search for Melodee began after school administrators reported concerns about her prolonged absence in October.
