The body of missing 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard has been found in rural Utah, and her mother has been arrested and charged with her murder, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown announced Tuesday.

During a press conference, Brown said Melodee’s remains were discovered earlier this month in a remote area of Utah, and that investigators moved swiftly after forensic evidence tied the crime to her mother, Ashlee Buzzard.

Authorities arrested Buzzard early Tuesday morning following the execution of search and arrest warrants, Brown said. She was taken into custody without incident and booked on a charge of first-degree murder. She is being held without bail.

“This is an extremely tragic case,” Brown said, describing the killing as an instance of maternal filicide, a crime he said is rare and deeply difficult to comprehend.

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“But this level of criminal activity is particularly shocking,” Brown added, citing what he described as the “calculated, cold-blooded and criminally sophisticated premeditation” involved.

Brown said investigators recovered significant evidence indicating the crime was committed by Melodee’s mother, the very person the child trusted most.

Authorities detailed how Melodee’s body was discovered on Dec. 6, after two people came across a decomposed body while taking photographs in a remote area of Utah. Local authorities responded and later determined the remains belonged to a young female.

CHARGE AGAINST MELODEE BUZZARD’S MOM DISMISSED, ANKLE MONITOR REMOVED AS FBI HUNTS FOR MISSING 9-YEAR-OLD

Two days later, Utah investigators notified the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office of the discovery. Brown said it was apparent the child had died from gunshot wounds to the head, though her identity could not immediately be confirmed.

Forensic work would later provide that confirmation and directly link the crime scene to Buzzard.

Brown said investigators recovered ballistic evidence while executing search warrants connected to the case, including an expended cartridge case and live ammunition. Analysis by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives determined that cartridge cases recovered at the Utah crime scene matched a cartridge case found during a search tied to Buzzard.

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The FBI crime lab later confirmed through DNA analysis that the remains found in Utah were a familial match to Buzzard, identifying the victim as Melodee.

With those results in hand, authorities moved to make an arrest.

Brown said investigators do not believe anyone else was involved in Melodee’s killing and that there are no additional suspects at this time. He added that authorities have not recovered the murder weapon and have not yet determined a motive, but emphasized the investigation remains active as detectives continue working closely with prosecutors.

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Melodee had been reported missing in October after leaving California on a road trip with her mother. Authorities previously described the child as “at-risk” and said immediate concerns were raised after she failed to appear at school and her whereabouts could not be verified.

In closing remarks, Brown reflected on the broader impact of the case.

“The loss of a child is among the most profound tragedies any community can endure,” he said. “That loss is exacerbated when it is at the hand of someone else and particularly at the hand of the one who should have loved them the most.”

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“Today we stand together in grief, but also with resolve,” Brown added. “Melodee deserved a far better life than she had. We will honor her memory by ensuring that every step of this process is handled with care, compassion and a steadfast commitment to justice.”

“Our investigation does not end here,” Brown said. “We will continue working closely with prosecutors and ensure that the judicial process moves forward with integrity. May God bless the innocent soul of Melodee Buzzard, who we will never, ever forget.”

Fox News’ Jamie Vera contributed to this report. 

Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.

The San Francisco 49ers have already clinched a spot in the NFC playoffs, but they will be taking aim at a larger goal over the season’s final two weeks.

The 49ers have an outside chance to win the NFC West. They are in a tight, three-horse battle for the divisional crown along with the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams, a fight in which the Seahawks presently hold an edge.

The 49ers will need to beat the Chicago Bears in Week 17 to keep their division title hopes alive and create an exciting battle between themselves and the Seahawks in the season’s final week.

Here’s a breakdown of the 49ers’ playoff picture and how they could potentially emerge as the NFC West winner for the third time in four seasons.

49ers playoff chances

The 49ers clinched a playoff berth in Week 16 thanks to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ win over the Detroit Lions. San Francisco was still able to win its “Monday Night Football” game against the Indianapolis Colts, allowing Kyle Shanahan’s squad to remain in the NFC West race down the stretch of the season.

49ers playoff scenarios

The 49ers will either win the NFC West or earn a wild-card berth. Here’s a look at what it will take for San Francisco to win its division in 2025:

• 49ers win final two games against Bears and Seahawks

If the 49ers can beat the Bears on “Sunday Night Football” in Week 17, it will set up a battle between San Francisco and Seattle in Week 18, with the winner earning the NFC West title and the NFC’s No. 1 overall seed.

A loss (or tie) against the Bears would eliminate the 49ers from the NFC West battle and relegate them to being either the No. 5 or No. 6 seed in the NFC playoff race.

NFC West standings

The 49ers are currently in second place in the NFC West standings. Below is a look at the pecking order within the division:

1. Seattle Seahawks (13-3)
2. San Francisco 49ers (11-4)
3. Los Angeles Rams (11-4)
4. Arizona Cardinals (3-13)

The Seahawks have already won their Week 17 game against the Carolina Panthers. That put Mike Macdonald’s squad a game-and-a-half ahead of the 49ers and Rams, who are playing on “Sunday Night Football” and “Monday Night Football” this week respectively.

The 49ers hold tiebreaker advantages over the Seahawks and Rams. San Francisco beat Seattle head-to-head in Week 1 and will play the Seahawks again in Week 18 with a potential division title on the line.

Meanwhile, San Francisco’s 4-1 divisional record is better than Los Angeles’ mark of 3-2. That will give the 49ers a slight edge over the Rams as they jockey for positioning behind the Seahawks.

49ers remaining schedule

The 49ers have one of the toughest remaining schedules league-wide, as both of their remaining games are against playoff teams. Below is a look at their full schedule:

• Week 17: vs. Chicago Bears (11-4)
• Week 18: vs. Seattle Seahawks (13-3)

Seahawks remaining schedule

The Seahawks just have one game left on their schedule after winning their Week 17 game against the Panthers. Below is a look at their remaining matchup:

• Week 18: at San Francisco 49ers (11-4)

Rams remaining schedule

The Rams have the easiest remaining schedule of the bunch, as their final two opponents have combined for just nine wins. Here’s a look at Los Angeles’ remaining schedule:

• Week 17: at Atlanta Falcons (6-9)
• Week 18: vs. Arizona Cardinals (3-13)

NFL playoff picture

Here’s how the AFC and NFC stack up for Week 17:

AFC

1. Denver Broncos (13-3, AFC West winners)*
2. New England Patriots (13-3, AFC East leaders)*
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4, AFC South leaders)*
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7, AFC North leaders)
5. Buffalo Bills (11-4, wild card No. 1)*
6. Houston Texans (11-5, wild card No. 2)*
7. Los Angeles Chargers (11-5, wild card No. 3)*

In the hunt: Baltimore Ravens (8-8)

NFC

1. Seattle Seahawks (13-3, NFC West leaders)*
2. Chicago Bears (11-4, NFC North winners)*
3. Philadelphia Eagles (10-5, NFC East winners)*
4. Carolina Panthers (8-8, NFC South leaders)
5. San Francisco 49ers (11-4, wild card No. 1)*
6. Los Angeles Rams (11-4, wild card No. 2)*
7. Green Bay Packers (9-6-1, wild card No. 3)*

In the hunt: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-8)

An asterisk (*) denotes teams that have clinched a playoff spot. Teams that have clinched division titles are noted accordingly.

DENVER — Street racing continues to pose threats to Colorado drivers, so Denver7 looked into the trends we saw throughout 2025.

Denver Police report 80 citations and arrests as of December 17 for 2025. That’s 20 more than last year, according to Doug Schepman, director of communications for the Denver Police Department (DPD).

There is one strip of road in Denver we asked Schepman about specifically, after hearing from business owners that it’s particularly troublesome.

We’re talking about the 2000 block of S. Santa Fe Drive in Denver.

Michael Gray, owner of Discount Fishing Tackle, said it’s a weekly occurrence to watch or hear cars and motorcycles zip past.

“Recently, we’ve seen the kids on the motorcycles coming by with the front wheel in the air, going just as dangerous as can be, and especially dangerous because so many other people are going so fast on this road,” Gray said.

He said he’s noticed that as more turnoffs are removed and the spacing between traffic lights gets longer, more drivers tend to use it as their personal raceway.

“It doesn’t affect us really too much, but you don’t like to have something as dangerous as that going on all the time,” he said.

Schepman said patrol districts are aware that street racing occurs along this stretch of South Santa Fe Drive, and that officers are directed to patrol the area during periods when reports are more prevalent.

He adds that the community plays a critical part in helping investigators curb this problem.

The Colorado State Patrol said it has received more than 1,700 reports from the community this year.

You can continue to report street racing here.