Mystery of missing girl, 9, spotted on CCTV wearing a wig days before vanishing
New surveillance images shows nine-year-old Melodee Buzzard apparently wearing a wig during a visit to a car rental business with her mother Ashlee. Authorities have described the mum as 'uncooperative' as the search for her daughter continues
More than two weeks after the hunt began for missing nine-year-old Melodee Buzzard, police are sharing new details about the mystery - and it's taken a disturbing twist.
The search for Melodee began on October 14, after a school official raised the alarm about her "prolonged absence".
Police visited the family home and spoke with the child's mother, 35-year-old Ashlee Buzzard. The little girl was not there, and "no verifiable explanation for [Melodee's] whereabouts was provided," officials said.
Now new surveillance camera photos of Melodee, released by police, show her inside a car rental shop on October 7 in Santa Barbara. The footage was taken just one week before she was reported missing in her home town of Lompoc, around 55 miles away from her last known location.
READ MORE: Netflix documentary to follow one of the biggest unsolved missing-persons casesREAD MORE: 'My kids, 4 and 6, vanished from their bedroom - six months on, we still can't find them'In the images, Melodee can be seen wearing a grey sweatshirt with the hood pulled up. She also appears to be wearing a wig that is darker and straighter than her natural hair, according to a statement from police.
"Investigators also noted the wig may have been used to alter her appearance," the statement reads. "Detectives also note that [Melodee's mother, 35-year-old Ashlee Buzzard] is known to wear wigs."
Ashlee rented a white Chevrolet Malibu, according to the Los Angeles Times. Mother and daughter then left the car rental business, and embarked on a three-day road trip from Lompoc, California to the Nebraska area.
"Investigators understand that this three-day road trip went from Lompoc to the Nebraska area, with the return trip including the state of Kansas," the sheriff's office said. "Detectives are now focused on determining where Melodee was during those three days and where she may be now."
The FBI's Los Angeles Field Office is also assisting in the search. It confirmed that Melodee "may have been with her mother as recently as October 7" and that Ashlee "may have driven with Melodee … as far as the state of Nebraska".
The rental car is no longer in Ashlee's possession. Authorities have said that she has been uncooperative and has not provided any information about her daughter's whereabouts.
Little Melodee is considered at-risk due to her age and the length of her absence.
"Our detectives are following every lead in this case. We continue to seek information from the public that could help us find Melodee," Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said. "We remain determined to bring her home safely.
"The Sheriff's Office shares the community's concern for Melodee's safety and is committed to bringing her home," he added.
"We are hopeful that Melodee might be with someone – perhaps an extended family member or friend – who may not be aware of the circumstances of her disappearance."
Melodee is described as about 4 feet, 6 inches tall, weighing 60 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes.