Mystery surrounds missing 9-year-old girl: “uncooperative” mother and a trip that worries police

US authorities on Monday intensified their search for a 9-year-old girl who has been missing for several weeks in California.

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The case intrigues investigators, who are trying to figure out what happened to little Melody Buzzard, who was picked up by a mother and toddler in early October, during a mysterious car trip between California and Nebraska.

Melody has not been seen since Oct. 7, when she was allegedly captured on surveillance video wearing a wig and hoodie, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.

The images come from a car rental agency where his mother, Ashley Buzzard, allegedly rented a Chevrolet vehicle, a white Malibu, for the trip.

Three days later, Mrs. Buzzard returned alone to Lampock, a small town about an hour’s drive from Santa Barbara. Since then, the little girl has not been found.

According to local authorities, the mother refused to cooperate with investigators, complicating efforts to trace the duo’s path during their journey.

“We hope that Melody is safe, maybe sheltered by a loved one who is unaware of the circumstances of her disappearance,” Sheriff Bill Brown told CNN.

An alert about the situation was issued on October 14, when a school principal reported that a child had not attended school for months.

With old photos of Melody Buzzard and a mother deemed “uncooperative,” police have little information about the girl.

The FBI has since narrowed the timeline of Melody’s disappearance to a critical three-day window, October 7-10. The family, devastated, remains hopeful.

A rally of support was held in front of the family’s home in Lompoc on Friday.

“If you hear us, we love you. We’re here for you. (…) Call me. There are numbers on the screen that you can dial, and I’ll come get you,” his grandmother Lilly Danes pleaded on KSBY, CNN reported.

Melody’s father died in a motorcycle accident when she was a child.

The last official photo of the little girl is from 2023.

According to the FBI, she is between 1.22 meters and 1.37 meters tall and weighs between 27 and 45 kg.

Police are appealing to everyone to find the girl. The investigation is ongoing.