The grandmother of Melodee Buzzard, a young girl tragically killed in California, has expressed her belief that the child’s mother orchestrated the attack. She contends that an insanity defense should not be applicable in this case.
Lilly Denes, Melodee’s paternal grandmother, shared her thoughts with reporters on January 7, following Ashlee Buzzard’s appearance in Lompoc County Court, as reported by the Santa Barbara Independent.
Ashlee Buzzard faces charges of murdering her daughter Melodee and abandoning her body in Utah. She has entered a plea of not guilty.
When questioned about the potential for an insanity plea, Denes firmly stated, “I don’t think that’s right because she planned everything.”
Authorities allege that on October 7, Buzzard rented a vehicle before embarking on a road trip with Melodee across multiple states.
Surveillance footage from the Lompoc car rental agency showed both Buzzard and Melodee in disguises, wearing wigs. Buzzard is also accused of altering the vehicle’s license plates to evade detection.
“When I met her nine or 10 years ago, she was not like this. I don’t know what happened,” Denes said, recalling when Melodee’s father, Rubiell Meza, who died in a motorcycle crash years ago, introduced Buzzard to his family.
“When my son brought her to the house, she was really quiet and just looking at me from head to toe,” Denes said. “I told my son, ‘Mijo, is this lady, is this girl OK? … She’s just staring.’”
Denes told the Independent that her son attributed Buzzard’s behavior to shyness.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, investigators found an expended cartridge case inside Buzzard’s Vandenberg Village home during an October 30 search. They also found “a live round of similar ammunition” inside the vehicle she had rented.
Then, a couple taking photos in a rural area of Wayne County, Utah, found Melodee’s remains near East State Route 24, on December 6.
Last month, Santa Barbara Sheriff Bill Brown said during a press conference that the Melodee had “gunshot wounds to the head.”
Brown called the killing “cold-blooded” with “criminally sophisticated premeditation and heartlessness.”
Meanwhile, Denes added that although she expects that Buzzard will plead insanity, she’s hoping that Buzzard “gets charged the right way.”
Buzzard remains behind bars without bail on charges that include:
- First-degree murder
- Discharge of a firearm causing death
- Special circumstance of murder by lying in wait
The prosecution announced that they would not seek the death penalty but will push for life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Buzzard’s next court hearing is scheduled for January 21. A preliminary hearing will reportedly not take place until after April.
Check back for updates.
Read additional coverage on Melodee Buzzard
[Feature Photo via Santa Barbara County police]
