Colby Ryan, the only surviving child of convicted killer Lori Daybell, is speaking out about the disappearance of 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, drawing parallels between the missing California girl’s case and his own family’s tragic story.
Police are searching for 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard. (Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office)
Ryan appeared on NewsNation to discuss the ongoing search for Melodee, who vanished after her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, took her on a road trip to Nebraska in October and returned home without her. The case has drawn national attention as authorities continue searching for the child while her mother remains uncooperative with investigators.
Ryan’s own experience with family tragedy gives him a unique perspective on missing children cases. His mother, Lori Daybell, was convicted of murdering his siblings, Tylee Ryan and J.J. Vallow, whose remains were found buried on her husband Chad Daybell’s property in Idaho.
Court TV Trial Archives | ID V. Vallow Daybell (2023)
The similarities between the cases are striking: both involve mothers who became uncooperative with law enforcement when their children went missing. In Melodee’s case, authorities say Ashlee Buzzard has refused to provide a reasonable explanation for her daughter’s whereabouts since the child was reported missing on Oct. 14.
Ryan noted that when a parent isn’t cooperating with authorities, it raises significant concerns. He emphasized that, in his experience, people who have nothing to hide typically fully cooperate with law enforcement.
The search for Melodee began when Lompoc Unified School District requested a welfare check after the 9-year-old’s lengthy absence from her independent studies program. According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office timeline, Melodee was last seen with her mother on Oct. 7 at the beginning of their road trip to Nebraska.
MORE | Search for missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard: A timeline
This photo provided by the FBI shows Tylee Ryan and JJ Vallow. (FBI)
When detectives executed a search warrant at the Buzzard home on October 15, they found no trace of Melodee. The FBI joined the investigation on October 18, and authorities have conducted extensive searches of the surrounding areas.
Ryan emphasized the urgency of finding missing children quickly, drawing from his family’s painful experience. He stressed that time is critical in these cases and that every day that passes makes it harder to locate a missing child, which is why it’s so important for people to come forward with any information they might have.
The case has generated significant community concern in Vandenberg Village, California, where flyers and signs asking “Where is Melodee?” have appeared throughout the area. Authorities describe the 9-year-old as approximately 4’6″ tall, 60 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes, though they note she may look different now since the most recent photo is at least two years old.
Anyone with information about Melodee’s location is asked to contact the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office at (805) 681-4150 or leave an anonymous tip at (805) 681-4171. Tips can also be sent to SBSheriff.org.
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