Captured on video by residents of Vandenberg Village in California, the tense moment when authorities apprehended Ashlee Buzzard, accused of killing a child, unfolded before the community’s eyes.

According to CrimeOnline, a man and a woman stumbled upon the remains of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard on December 6. Her body was discovered in Wayne County, Utah, near East State Route 24. The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office then informed their counterparts in Santa Barbara County.

Due to the body’s decomposition, investigators awaited DNA results to confirm Melodee’s identity. Authorities indicated that the child might have been deceased for several months.

During a press briefing on Tuesday, Santa Barbara Sheriff Bill Brown disclosed that the body was found with “gunshot wounds to the head.”

Buzzard was taken into custody at around 8 a.m. on Tuesday after authorities forced entry into her residence on Mars Avenue, as reported by KSBY.

“The entire family is heartbroken and devastated,” Melodee’s aunt, Lizabeth Meza, shared with KSBY. “Melodee had a sweet personality, always so charismatic and full of joy.”

Investigators found an expended cartridge case inside Buzzard’s home during an October 30 search. They also found  “a live round of similar ammunition” inside a vehicle she had rented.

“Our investigators and those of our allied agencies worked simultaneously on multiple fronts, some maintaining around-the-clock surveillance of Ashley Buzzard, while others focused on the painstaking collection, analysis and verification of physical, digital and forensic evidence,” Brown said Tuesday.

“Maternal filicide is rare and always difficult to comprehend. This level of criminal activity is particularly shocking given the calculated, cold-blooded and criminally sophisticated premeditation and heartlessness that went into planning it.”

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office previously said Buzzard rented a car in Lompoc, and embarked on a cross-country trip on October 7.

Security footage placed both Ashlee Buzzard and Melodee at the car rental business while wearing wigs that same day.

According to the sheriff’s office, Melodee was last seen on October 9, between the Colorado–Utah border, on a return route.

“Somewhere along that route is where we know Ashlee was no longer with Melodee,” Raquel Zick, Public Information Officer with SBCSO, said.

Investigators said they now believe that Melodee died shortly after the October 9 stop. So far, the motive is unknown and authorities do not have the murder weapon.

Melodee had been reported missing on October 14 after Lompoc Unified School District employees said she failed to pick assignments for an independent study program. Her mother remained uncooperative when questioned and offered no valid explanation for her daughter’s disappearance.

Ashlee Buzzard is believed to have acted alone. She remains behind bars without bail on a first-degree murder charge.

Read additional coverage on Melodee Buzzard

[Feature Photo: Santa Barbara County police]