December 27, 2025 • 27 mins
In this episode, we break down the full timeline and key evidence in the Melodee Buzzard case, from her disappearance to the arrest of her mother, Ashlee Buzzard, on first-degree murder charges.
Melodee Buzzard was reported missing in October after a school administrator alerted police to her prolonged absence. Investigators soon uncovered a suspicious multi-state road trip involving rental cars, wigs, license plate changes, and misleading statements about Melodee’s whereabouts. Surveillance footage placed Melodee alive for the last time near the Utah–Colorado border, where investigators believe she was killed shortly afterward.
As the investigation unfolded, law enforcement executed multiple search warrants, recovered ballistic evidence, and identified disturbing behavior and statements made by Ashlee in the weeks following Melodee’s disappearance. A key witness later reported being falsely imprisoned, leading to Ashlee’s initial arrest and further scrutiny by investigators.
In December, Melodee’s remains were discovered in a remote area of Utah. DNA testing confirmed her identity, and forensic evidence linked the crime back to the rental vehicle and Ashlee’s residence. Ashlee Buzzard was arrested and formally charged with first-degree murder with special allegations. Prosecutors have announced they will seek life without parole.
This episode also examines Ashlee Buzzard’s background, prior mental health concerns, family court history, and the difficult questions surrounding mental illness, premeditation, and criminal responsibility.
⚠️ Viewer discretion advised: This episode discusses the death of a child.
Brian Entin’s channel - audio from the incident with Tyler. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-wVV5RK1Qg
Criminally obsessed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6q544MVGDs
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/pretty-lies-and-alibis--4447192/support.
Melodee Buzzard was reported missing in October after a school administrator alerted police to her prolonged absence. Investigators soon uncovered a suspicious multi-state road trip involving rental cars, wigs, license plate changes, and misleading statements about Melodee’s whereabouts. Surveillance footage placed Melodee alive for the last time near the Utah–Colorado border, where investigators believe she was killed shortly afterward.
As the investigation unfolded, law enforcement executed multiple search warrants, recovered ballistic evidence, and identified disturbing behavior and statements made by Ashlee in the weeks following Melodee’s disappearance. A key witness later reported being falsely imprisoned, leading to Ashlee’s initial arrest and further scrutiny by investigators.
In December, Melodee’s remains were discovered in a remote area of Utah. DNA testing confirmed her identity, and forensic evidence linked the crime back to the rental vehicle and Ashlee’s residence. Ashlee Buzzard was arrested and formally charged with first-degree murder with special allegations. Prosecutors have announced they will seek life without parole.
This episode also examines Ashlee Buzzard’s background, prior mental health concerns, family court history, and the difficult questions surrounding mental illness, premeditation, and criminal responsibility.
⚠️ Viewer discretion advised: This episode discusses the death of a child.
Brian Entin’s channel - audio from the incident with Tyler. - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-wVV5RK1Qg
Criminally obsessed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6q544MVGDs
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- ALL MERCH 10% off with code Sherlock10 at checkout - NEW STYLES
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let's you know Ali Byers. Welcome to another episode of
Pretty Lives and Alibis I'm Gigi is Saturday, December twenty seventh.
Hope you guys are having a good weekend so far.
Finally getting out this Melody Buzzard backstory. There's much more
where this came from. It's taken me a couple of
days to kind of dive deep and look at interviews
and things like that to get a better understanding of
(00:20):
this woman, if that's even possible. But as you guys know, unfortunately,
Melody Buzzer was found to cease with multiple gunshot wounds
after being missing for a couple of months. When Melody
was six months old, her dad died in an accident.
After his death, Ashley let his family see her for
a few years, and his mother, Lily said Melody was
(00:41):
a very lovable, well behaved child and was always smiling. Now,
Ashley does have another daughter who was in her twenties,
but that child was taken away from Ashley when her
daughter was small due to mental health issues. So let's
go through a timeline. On October seventh, Ashley rents a
car and Ashley and Melody both are seen on surveillance,
(01:02):
and they both were wearing wigs. Later that day, Ashley
is seen leaving her home driving that rental car. The
three day trip went from Lompoke to Nebraska. Melody's last
known movements were between the states of California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Wyoming,
and Nebraska. On October eighth, Ashley switched the license plates
(01:25):
from a California plate to a New York plate. October ninth,
Melody is last seen alive on surveillance with Ashley on
the Colorado side of the Utah Colorado border, and investigators
believe Melody was killed shortly after that stop. For Ashley
returning home, she went through Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada,
(01:46):
and then back to California. Investigators did say they noticed
when she was fueling the car while on the road trip,
she would back in in an apparent attempt to avoid
detection by surveillance cameras. October tenth, Ashley returns home, still
driving the rental car. She had switched the license plates
back to the California ones before returning the car, and
(02:08):
of course, when Ashley returned home, Melody was not with her.
October fourteenth, a school administrator reported Melody's prolonged absence from
school to police, and they asked for a welfare check.
Melody and her mom were seen in August enrolling her
in an independent study program at the school, which she
could attend remotely, but she had not attended at all
(02:29):
this year. Police spoke with Ashley and she wasn't able
to provide any verifiable explanation of Melody's whereabouts, and a
search of the home confirmed she was not there and
just a huge shout out to the school for doing
their job. Melody was said to have been homeschooled for
the past few years, but the California Department of Education
said there was no record of Ashley submitting the required
(02:53):
paperwork to homeschool her. On October fifteenth, the Santa Barbara
Police put out a press release asking if in d
one has seen Melody or had any contact with her
for the past year, and if so, to reach out.
There was also a search warn't executed at Ashley's home.
October sixteenth, Melody's father's family was contacted informing them that
(03:14):
she was missing. On October seventeenth, police released another statement
saying that Melody had been seen in August. They also
praised the school for contacting them, saying that it helped
them narrow down a significant gap in the timeline of
when she was last seen. On October eighteenth, there was
another search of the home. In a third press release
on October twentieth, they talk about the travels of Ashley
(03:38):
and Melody and also said that Ashley remains uncooperative and
hasn't given any information about Melody's current location or her
medical condition. Also on the eighteenth, the FBI officially joined
the investigation. October twentieth, Kosby talked to Lorie Miranda, which
is Ashley's mom. Law enforcement had called to let her
(03:59):
know Meli was missing and asked when she last talked
to Ashley. She said it had been about a year
and a half to two years ago. She said Ashley's
mental health had declined rapidly since the death of Melody's
dad back in twenty sixteen. She talks about one time
she was planning to go visit Melody but got a
call from the police saying they were putting Melody with
(04:21):
child protective Services. Laurie went over there and said the
house was a mess. There were raw eggs and pans.
There was rotting food in the fridge that she thinks
Ashley was trying to feed Melody. During this interview, she
showed the reporter a telescope she wanted to give Melody
for her birthday. She said she's kept all the gifts
she's bought Melody over the years, and her psychologists thought
(04:42):
it was a good thing because when she saw Melody,
she would know that her grandma had been thinking of
her even though they had been apart. Now. Ashley's family
released this statement in late October. It says, on behalf
of the maternal family of Ashley and Melody Buzzard, we
want to express our deep concern regarding the recent news
of her disappearance. Our primary focus is on finding Melody
(05:05):
and ensuring her safety. We ask the public and media
to remember that this urgent situation is about finding Melody,
not criticizing her mother's mental health. While Ashley's experiences may
be a factor, we respectfully request that her privacy be
protected and not exploited. The past nine years have undoubtedly
been incredibly difficult for Ashley, and we hope this context
(05:28):
encourages compassion rather than judgment. As reported, after giving birth
to Melody. Ashley experienced the loss of Melody's father six
months later. We believe she may have been experiencing untreated
postpartum depression in addition to the grief from the loss
of Melody's father, on top of her mental health struggles,
all this while trying to do her best to hold
(05:49):
it all together as a single mom with little resources.
Our sole priority remains the safe return of Melody and
getting Ashley the help she needs. We ask for privacy
at this time. We will not be making any further statements.
It's not our desire, nor do we feel it's productive
to use the media or social media, or anything other
(06:09):
than bringing public awareness of Melody's disappearance. We urge anyone
with information to come forward and assist authorities. On October
twenty fourth, k e YTV spoke to Melody's aunt, whose
name is Bridget Truett. She said, Ashley hasn't let us
see her for a few years, and all of us
have tried, but we never stopped thinking about her, or
(06:30):
loving her, or praying for her. They also announced a
family led a candlelight visual for Melody that was happening
that next night. Melody's paternal grandmother. Lily works for k
E y T and Telemundo as a sales executive, and
speaking of her son, she said, he was a really
good dad, very good son. We used to argue a
(06:50):
little bit like every mother, but he was a very
good son, loved his daughter. Miss Lily took care of
Melody when Ashley was hospitalized for several weeks back in
twenty twenty one, and during this time, Lily was working
with DSS to try and adopt Melody because she was
worried Ashley couldn't take care of her, but Ashley was
discharged from the hospital before Lily finished the background check.
(07:14):
Ashley took the girl from school and left Santa Barbara County.
They moved to Vandenburgh Village, which is about twenty two
miles away from Santa Maria. She told Fox News that
Ashley was trying to cut Melody off from the world
and Lily had not seen her since. She said, I
didn't even know she lived there. She's been hiding from us,
especially for me because I'm the grandma and they gave
(07:37):
her to us, so she's always been scared that I'm
going to go and just grab her and take her
and get a lawyer and fight with her. I don't
want to fight. She did have a message for Melody
if she's listening, we love you, We're here for you,
and we just want you to be happy. Call me.
There are numbers on the TV, so you can call
and I will come pick you up. She held up
(07:57):
a photo of her son holding a new born Melody,
saying this is my baby boy. He's gone and she
was just a baby. I know your dad is watching
you from heaven. I love you, baby. She also requested
that Melody be called Melody Buzzard Masa. October twenty fourth,
Melody's paternal aunt, Elizabeth, was on Banfield and commented on
(08:20):
the surveillance photo of Ashley and Melody at the car
rental place. She said they hadn't seen her in four
and a half years, so when they last saw her
she was only four. But she said that nose definitely
reminds me of her dad, so yeah, it does look
like her. Elizabeth's husband, who is the brother of Melody's dad,
said he did get into contact with Ashley at one
(08:40):
point and said, hey, if you won't let us see Melody,
at least let her grandma see her. They did see
her after Melody's birthday, and Grandma had presents for Melody,
but Ashley also came and Elizabeth said, you could tell
Ashley was mentally unwell. She had buzzed her hair and
was wearing a hoodie, and she said Ashley and Melody
didn't stay long. Ashley told Grandma, I can't do this.
(09:04):
She also said that last verified photo that's been circulated
everywhere of Melody was from around two years ago, and
when CPS contacted her about Melody being missing, she was
under the impression Melody had been adopted out. On October thirtieth,
there was a follow up search at the house as
well as a storage unit and the rental car. During
(09:25):
the search of the home, investigators found an expended cartridge case,
and in the rental car they found the live round
of similar ammunition. Fast forward to after Melody's body was found,
the ATF compared casings recovered in Utah to the ones
recovered in Ashley's home and the rental car, and they
were all linked. Melody had been shot with a nine
(09:47):
to millimeter October thirty first, Melody's paternal aunt, Elizabeth and
Melody's half Sisterkarina were on Banfield. Karina is in her twenties.
She recalled going to Ashley's to ask about Melo after
Melody had been reported missing. She knocked on the door
and waited about thirty minutes before Ashley came out. Ashley
(10:07):
didn't answer any questions about Melody, but said all this
had been hard on her mental health and she didn't
appreciate all the attention she's getting and the fact that
Karina was knocking on the door when she didn't want
to answer. She said, normally Ashley has no emotion, She's
just very straight faced. Also, around this time, Ashley had
(10:28):
been seen packing a U haul with boxes and appliances.
November six, the man named Tyler Brewer reported that he
was held against his will at Ashley's home. He had
actually been there several times before this incident. He's a
paralegal and also an acquaintance of hers, and he offered
to help, thinking maybe she had a family law issue
(10:49):
about to come up. He also knew Melody had been
taken from Ashley in the past. On that last visit,
he was inside the home when, according to him, she
told him things she must have regretted, saying like where
Melody was and who she was with, but he said
a box cutter was produced by Ashley Yeah several times
to leave, but she wouldn't let him. He also said
(11:11):
the doors had several locks on them. Now. Tyler was
on Banfield later and went more in depth about what
happened at the house that night. He said after his
second visit to Ashley's, a detective pulled him over and
said he would need to report back anything he learned
about Melody to them, so he did. On that last visit,
he said, Ashley told him this story, which is absolute
(11:33):
bs that she went on the road trip at the
instruction of people she barely knew to drop Melody off
with them in Utah. What was the reason. Ashley said
she had some outpatient surgery coming up and Melody needed
to be away from her for at least a month
or two for Ashley to get back on her feet.
She told Tyler she knew nothing about these people and
(11:55):
she had no contact information, which he thought was weird
because Ashley said she had been communicating with them. She
said the phone number had been changed and the people
told her when they got home, Melody would start calling her.
She told Tyler they met these people at a zoo,
and the couple had a daughter, Melody's age, and wanted
a playmate for her. He said Ashley didn't want to
(12:17):
say too much because she told Tyler she thought the
house could be bugged. Ashley said the location for drop
off change because the couple was paranoid of the government.
They were scared they were being spied on and being followed,
so according to Ashley, the location changed several times. He
also said Ashley had started deleting all of her online
(12:37):
accounts because she was worried about being traced. She started
deleting her Amazon account, her email account, changing her bank account,
things like that. He also said Ashley had lined up
these photos of Melody on the couch. There is video
showing Ashley taking down the missing posters that were put
in front of her house by neighbors and people coming by.
(13:00):
He said that she had all of the photos lined
up of Melody on the couch and he called it
a little shrine. And oddly enough, there was a back pillow,
you know, the kind that has the big back with
the little arms. That's what he's talking about, I believe,
and that was dressed in Melody's clothes. An orange hoodie.
At one point, he set a pair of pants. She
(13:20):
told Tyler she did this because she missed Melody. But
towards the end of this last conversation, she started saying
that she couldn't trust him. He wasn't a pair of
legal and she said he was going to jail for
pretending to have an office and that he was working
as an undercover officer. Now, Ashley recorded this without Eyler's consent.
(13:40):
Brian Inton had this audio on his podcast, so I
will link that below, but I'm going to play for
you the clip where she is accusing him of these things.
So let's listen. Now, I don't lie.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
You're a really good liar like Tyler. I'm Tyler, definitely Tyler.
Be quiet and listen. Please look at me like I'm
an intelligent woman. I'm forty years old. You deal with
legal stuff like who are you kiding? Tyler? I'm not
(14:17):
trying to be disrespectful, and you need a reality check.
If this is on media news like news talk shows,
they're gonna be seeing you. They're gonna be interested, and
you have to understand that. I'm aware whether you want
(14:37):
to invent it or not, you want the attention I
don't want the attention. There is absolutely no way in
hell that you are not bipolar or have an extreme issue.
If you don't realize what you're doing is false advertisement
and there are real legal ramifications. I don't know how
you honestly are not worried about being put in jail.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
I will like to at this moment.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Since you're leaving in an uncomfortable way, I want the
keys to my house and the storage. Nobody else has keys.
Is that correct, Tyler? Genuinely, if you've been here genuinely
to help, I appreciate it. The lies are a lot,
(15:33):
and especially if you are genuine and trying to help
in your own way, you should be very concerned if
they recognize you, because anyone else like running for district,
it doesn't add up. I'm not threatening you, but I'm
(15:55):
saying like I'm not threatening you at all. I'm trying
to help as a friend because I feel like it
has to be bipolar or something. But I don't think
you're grasping the level of of online things that don't
make sense.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
No, I understand where you're coming from that this moment
where I could leave, and I'm more than receptive.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
If you want to call her, text me how do
I send you the money if you receipt?
Speaker 3 (16:23):
Concerned about me about but I'm I'm still I'm still
very receptive. Should he want her call me or text me?
That been nothing intentionally to be to speakable.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Tyler said another thing Ashley had him do was to
go make copies of her house and storage shed keys.
He said she was preparing to be arrested and wanted
him to empty your house and the storage shed if
she did get arrested so she wouldn't lose her stuff. Now,
Ashley have been seen loading things into a U haul.
Tyler said the things in the boxes was clothing that
(16:59):
belonged to Melody, and Ashley said she had outgrown them.
She was also seen getting a lot of boxes delivered
while under surveillance. He said that Ashley has food, wigs,
toilet tries, pretty much everything mailed to her. He said
Ashley told him she was addicted to shopping, but he
couldn't understand where she was getting the money from. So
I've researched this and all I can find is that
(17:21):
she lives off of Social Security payments and it sounds
like possibly survivor benefits for Melody, and that would be
around eleven hundred each month. And as you know, when
a parent passes away up until a certain age, I
think in California it's twenty two. Children get a monthly
check from the government. He said Ashley told him people
were comparing her to Casey Anthony, and she allegedly told
(17:44):
him at least I'm not out partying. Kyler said he
told Ashley people were saying either she trafficked Melody or
killed her, and he asked which one it was. He
said Ashley started fake crying but would not answer the question.
He also said when he would question her, she would say,
he's getting triggered, and he also said the word triggered
was one of her favorite words. On November seventh, Ashley
(18:07):
was arrested for a charge of felony false imprisonment related
to this incident with Tyler, and November twelfth was her
first appearance for those charges, and she pleaded not guilty.
Prosecution asked she not be released, saying that she was
a flight risk. She would wear wigs to disguise herself
and also switched out license plates, but against the prosecution's request,
(18:29):
the judge did allow Melody to go home with GPS
monitoring and other rules like she couldn't possess a firearm
and not contact the alleged victim. On November twentieth, she
had her preliminary hearing and the judge dropped the charges
after this recording between Ashley and Tyler didn't match what
Tyler told police. That was the recording we just listened to.
(18:53):
On December sixth, police responded to a call from a
couple traveling in a remote area of Wayne County, u
s Utah near Caneville. They were taking photos when they
found Melody's body. December eighth, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's
Office were notified of those remains being found. They were
told the victim was female and had multiple gunshot wounds
(19:14):
to the head, but due to how decomposed the remains were,
they would need to perform DNA analysis to confirm it
was Melody. December twenty second, the FBI Crime Lab confirmed
through DNA to Ashley that the remains were in fact
of Melody. December twenty third, Ashley was arrested around seven
fifty one am. Later that morning, investigators were back at
(19:36):
the home and they were seen bringing out Brown evidence backs.
A neighbor told KSB why the arrest was quick. They
banged on the door with something metal and then pride
to open the door to get inside. She was formerly
charged on Christmas Eve for first degree murdered with special
allegations and that is lying in wait. Melody's grandmother, Lily
told the La Times, the detective called me this morning
(19:59):
to let me know they found the baby and the
baby is with her dad. I knew he was telling
me that the baby is dead. There also was a
press conference later that day in Santa Barbara County. Sheriff
Corner Bill Brown said this level of criminal activity is
really shocking, given the calculated, cold blooded, and criminally sophisticated
(20:19):
premeditation and heartlessness that went into planning it, and then
the ruthlessness that went into actually committing the crime. He said,
they have recovered a significant amount of evidence that clearly
indicates this heinous crime was committed by Ashley, the person
Melody relied on and trusted most in the world. Investigators
(20:40):
and allied agencies worked simultaneously on multiple fronts. Some were
maintaining round the clock surveillance on Ashley, while others were
focused on collection analysis and verification of digital and forensic evidence.
Andy said detectives faced deliberate efforts to prevent them from
finding Melody and uncovering the truth. Special Agent Patrick Randy
(21:03):
from the FBI said our collective hearts were broken. After
the press conference, her attorneys said there were statements made
that could impact Ashley's presumption of innocence and the possibility
affair and impartial jurors being selected in that county. He
said they will prepare any and all defenses for Ashley.
When asked if the case would be tried in Santa
(21:24):
Barbara or Utah, they said the intent was formed in
Santa Barbara prior to going on the road trip, so
she will be tried in California, and they have not
established a motive. Her first appearance was on December twenty sixth,
and she pleaded not guilty. Her attorney actually put the
plea in for her, and there were reactions from those
in attendance, and the judge had to address that prosecutors
(21:48):
will not seek the death penalty. They're going to opt
for life without parole. The judge also issued a gag
order barring police from discussing information outside the public record.
At least until January seven. Melody's paternal grandmother was in attendance,
and according to Nancy Lou from News Nation, her grandmother
said they are working on funeral arrangements for little Melody.
(22:11):
So some backstory stuff on Ashley. Back in twenty seventeen,
she filed for Chapter seven bankruptcy. She had five accounts
in collections, as well as a small claims lawsuit for
unpaid debt. The most recent lawsuit was filed by Capital
One in May. She's also said to have a very
bad relationship with her mom, Laurie Miranda. In fact, Tyler
(22:35):
the one who said he was held against his will
that the Ashley told him she would rather Melody be
in a group home or in foster care as opposed
to her own family. And there was an article written
about Ashley and her mom in the Santa Maria Times
back in ninety four and the title was Lessons from
the School of Hard Knocks Back when Ashley herself was
(22:57):
nine years old. In June of nineteen nine, twine four,
her and her mother became homeless after leaving Orange County
to go to the Central Coast, and the reason to
get away from Ashley's abusive father, who her mother said
was physically, emotionally and verbally abusive. He also abused drugs
and would have very violent episodes where he would do
(23:19):
things like smash windows. After they left, they moved to
different places and would often stay in hotels. Ashley's mom
told the publication they arrived in Santa Maria with forty
dollars and she had no job, no car, and no home.
They lived in the Good Samaritan Shelter in Santa Maria
for a short time before moving into an apartment. Laurie
(23:40):
told the newspaper she was so scared because she knew
nobody and just felt very uncomfortable, and Ashley was part
of the school district's outreach program that helped homeless students.
When Ashley was in the eleventh grade, she filed a
petition to be emancipated from her mom, but the judge
did not grant the petition. The judge said Ashley submitted
(24:01):
nothing to the courts about her income and expenses, and
noted she also still lived with her mom. Melody's half sister, Carina,
talked to Criminally Obsessed Great podcast, I'm going to link
that in the description and said that Their dad was
forty when he died and she was twenty three. She
had had breakfast with him that morning and then went
to work and during her shift she got a call
(24:23):
telling her he had the accident, and she said they
were very close. She said their dad loved Melody and
he was just really excited to have a new baby,
and she meant everything to him. In fact, Melody's half
sister has a daughter who is just a year younger
than Melody. When she first met Ashley, she noticed she
was just very quiet. They all went to six Flags together.
(24:44):
She had heard Ashley have mental health issues, but her
understanding was when her dad and Ashley first met, it
was under control, but over time that changed. She isn't
exactly sure what Ashley's diagnosis is, but she did hear
at one point Ashley tried to self harm by taking pills.
Coarina's grandmother, Lily, was told by Ashley that Melody was
(25:05):
in the custody of a friend of Ashley's who ended
up adopting her, and this friend did not want the
paternal family to have contact with Melody. She said Melody
was in foster care a couple of times due to
Ashley's mental health issues, but was given back to Ashley
every time. She didn't even know Ashley had Melody back
(25:26):
until Child Welfare Services called to ask her questions like
if she knew where Melody was or if she had
contact with Ashley or Melody. She also said she didn't
get to see Melody much. The last time she saw
her sister was in November twenty twenty, and she also
said her grandma was the middle person with Ashley. After
she was called and asked about whether or not she
(25:46):
had seen Melody or Ashley, it broke on social media
that Melody was missing and that is how she found out.
She did go to Ashley's house the day after Child
Welfare called her and she asked Ashley, where's Melody, But
she really didn't answer the questions and when she answered anything,
it was limited. She did say everything that was going
on with her was messing with her mental health. Ashley
(26:10):
did not let her inside the house, and she said
Ashley showed no emotion. After the not guilty plead, Melody's grandma,
Lily talked to the press and she was shocked that
Ashley pleaded not guilty and she said, you heard the
people in the courtroom. Her next scheduled court date is
January seventh for a preliminary hearing, and the gag order
(26:31):
will most likely be discussed again on that date. So
that's what I could pack into one episode. There's a
lot more. I'm finding a lot about her past online,
and I'm just a little hesitant to report it because
it's not verified, so I'll avoid that for now. I'm
definitely going to follow this one very closely, and we
will see what happens. I do have a feeling that
(26:53):
mental health is going to come into play very strongly
in this case. However, there's a lot of premeditation and
a lot of lit and a lot of covering up.
But you can also be very mentally ill and culpable,
and I think that's going to be the case here,
because when you lie and cover things up and make
elaborate stories, no matter how crazy they are, you know
(27:13):
what you did was wrong. We will see how this unfolds.
That is it for now. I hope you guys have
a good arrest of your evening and we will see
you soon.
Let's you know Ali Byers. Welcome to another episode of
Pretty Lives and Alibis I'm Gigi is Saturday, December twenty seventh.
Hope you guys are having a good weekend so far.
Finally getting out this Melody Buzzard backstory. There's much more
where this came from. It's taken me a couple of
days to kind of dive deep and look at interviews
and things like that to get a better understanding of
(00:20):
this woman, if that's even possible. But as you guys know, unfortunately,
Melody Buzzer was found to cease with multiple gunshot wounds
after being missing for a couple of months. When Melody
was six months old, her dad died in an accident.
After his death, Ashley let his family see her for
a few years, and his mother, Lily said Melody was
(00:41):
a very lovable, well behaved child and was always smiling. Now,
Ashley does have another daughter who was in her twenties,
but that child was taken away from Ashley when her
daughter was small due to mental health issues. So let's
go through a timeline. On October seventh, Ashley rents a
car and Ashley and Melody both are seen on surveillance,
(01:02):
and they both were wearing wigs. Later that day, Ashley
is seen leaving her home driving that rental car. The
three day trip went from Lompoke to Nebraska. Melody's last
known movements were between the states of California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Wyoming,
and Nebraska. On October eighth, Ashley switched the license plates
(01:25):
from a California plate to a New York plate. October ninth,
Melody is last seen alive on surveillance with Ashley on
the Colorado side of the Utah Colorado border, and investigators
believe Melody was killed shortly after that stop. For Ashley
returning home, she went through Kansas, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada,
(01:46):
and then back to California. Investigators did say they noticed
when she was fueling the car while on the road trip,
she would back in in an apparent attempt to avoid
detection by surveillance cameras. October tenth, Ashley returns home, still
driving the rental car. She had switched the license plates
back to the California ones before returning the car, and
(02:08):
of course, when Ashley returned home, Melody was not with her.
October fourteenth, a school administrator reported Melody's prolonged absence from
school to police, and they asked for a welfare check.
Melody and her mom were seen in August enrolling her
in an independent study program at the school, which she
could attend remotely, but she had not attended at all
(02:29):
this year. Police spoke with Ashley and she wasn't able
to provide any verifiable explanation of Melody's whereabouts, and a
search of the home confirmed she was not there and
just a huge shout out to the school for doing
their job. Melody was said to have been homeschooled for
the past few years, but the California Department of Education
said there was no record of Ashley submitting the required
(02:53):
paperwork to homeschool her. On October fifteenth, the Santa Barbara
Police put out a press release asking if in d
one has seen Melody or had any contact with her
for the past year, and if so, to reach out.
There was also a search warn't executed at Ashley's home.
October sixteenth, Melody's father's family was contacted informing them that
(03:14):
she was missing. On October seventeenth, police released another statement
saying that Melody had been seen in August. They also
praised the school for contacting them, saying that it helped
them narrow down a significant gap in the timeline of
when she was last seen. On October eighteenth, there was
another search of the home. In a third press release
on October twentieth, they talk about the travels of Ashley
(03:38):
and Melody and also said that Ashley remains uncooperative and
hasn't given any information about Melody's current location or her
medical condition. Also on the eighteenth, the FBI officially joined
the investigation. October twentieth, Kosby talked to Lorie Miranda, which
is Ashley's mom. Law enforcement had called to let her
(03:59):
know Meli was missing and asked when she last talked
to Ashley. She said it had been about a year
and a half to two years ago. She said Ashley's
mental health had declined rapidly since the death of Melody's
dad back in twenty sixteen. She talks about one time
she was planning to go visit Melody but got a
call from the police saying they were putting Melody with
(04:21):
child protective Services. Laurie went over there and said the
house was a mess. There were raw eggs and pans.
There was rotting food in the fridge that she thinks
Ashley was trying to feed Melody. During this interview, she
showed the reporter a telescope she wanted to give Melody
for her birthday. She said she's kept all the gifts
she's bought Melody over the years, and her psychologists thought
(04:42):
it was a good thing because when she saw Melody,
she would know that her grandma had been thinking of
her even though they had been apart. Now. Ashley's family
released this statement in late October. It says, on behalf
of the maternal family of Ashley and Melody Buzzard, we
want to express our deep concern regarding the recent news
of her disappearance. Our primary focus is on finding Melody
(05:05):
and ensuring her safety. We ask the public and media
to remember that this urgent situation is about finding Melody,
not criticizing her mother's mental health. While Ashley's experiences may
be a factor, we respectfully request that her privacy be
protected and not exploited. The past nine years have undoubtedly
been incredibly difficult for Ashley, and we hope this context
(05:28):
encourages compassion rather than judgment. As reported, after giving birth
to Melody. Ashley experienced the loss of Melody's father six
months later. We believe she may have been experiencing untreated
postpartum depression in addition to the grief from the loss
of Melody's father, on top of her mental health struggles,
all this while trying to do her best to hold
(05:49):
it all together as a single mom with little resources.
Our sole priority remains the safe return of Melody and
getting Ashley the help she needs. We ask for privacy
at this time. We will not be making any further statements.
It's not our desire, nor do we feel it's productive
to use the media or social media, or anything other
(06:09):
than bringing public awareness of Melody's disappearance. We urge anyone
with information to come forward and assist authorities. On October
twenty fourth, k e YTV spoke to Melody's aunt, whose
name is Bridget Truett. She said, Ashley hasn't let us
see her for a few years, and all of us
have tried, but we never stopped thinking about her, or
(06:30):
loving her, or praying for her. They also announced a
family led a candlelight visual for Melody that was happening
that next night. Melody's paternal grandmother. Lily works for k
E y T and Telemundo as a sales executive, and
speaking of her son, she said, he was a really
good dad, very good son. We used to argue a
(06:50):
little bit like every mother, but he was a very
good son, loved his daughter. Miss Lily took care of
Melody when Ashley was hospitalized for several weeks back in
twenty twenty one, and during this time, Lily was working
with DSS to try and adopt Melody because she was
worried Ashley couldn't take care of her, but Ashley was
discharged from the hospital before Lily finished the background check.
(07:14):
Ashley took the girl from school and left Santa Barbara County.
They moved to Vandenburgh Village, which is about twenty two
miles away from Santa Maria. She told Fox News that
Ashley was trying to cut Melody off from the world
and Lily had not seen her since. She said, I
didn't even know she lived there. She's been hiding from us,
especially for me because I'm the grandma and they gave
(07:37):
her to us, so she's always been scared that I'm
going to go and just grab her and take her
and get a lawyer and fight with her. I don't
want to fight. She did have a message for Melody
if she's listening, we love you, We're here for you,
and we just want you to be happy. Call me.
There are numbers on the TV, so you can call
and I will come pick you up. She held up
(07:57):
a photo of her son holding a new born Melody,
saying this is my baby boy. He's gone and she
was just a baby. I know your dad is watching
you from heaven. I love you, baby. She also requested
that Melody be called Melody Buzzard Masa. October twenty fourth,
Melody's paternal aunt, Elizabeth, was on Banfield and commented on
(08:20):
the surveillance photo of Ashley and Melody at the car
rental place. She said they hadn't seen her in four
and a half years, so when they last saw her
she was only four. But she said that nose definitely
reminds me of her dad, so yeah, it does look
like her. Elizabeth's husband, who is the brother of Melody's dad,
said he did get into contact with Ashley at one
(08:40):
point and said, hey, if you won't let us see Melody,
at least let her grandma see her. They did see
her after Melody's birthday, and Grandma had presents for Melody,
but Ashley also came and Elizabeth said, you could tell
Ashley was mentally unwell. She had buzzed her hair and
was wearing a hoodie, and she said Ashley and Melody
didn't stay long. Ashley told Grandma, I can't do this.
(09:04):
She also said that last verified photo that's been circulated
everywhere of Melody was from around two years ago, and
when CPS contacted her about Melody being missing, she was
under the impression Melody had been adopted out. On October thirtieth,
there was a follow up search at the house as
well as a storage unit and the rental car. During
(09:25):
the search of the home, investigators found an expended cartridge case,
and in the rental car they found the live round
of similar ammunition. Fast forward to after Melody's body was found,
the ATF compared casings recovered in Utah to the ones
recovered in Ashley's home and the rental car, and they
were all linked. Melody had been shot with a nine
(09:47):
to millimeter October thirty first, Melody's paternal aunt, Elizabeth and
Melody's half Sisterkarina were on Banfield. Karina is in her twenties.
She recalled going to Ashley's to ask about Melo after
Melody had been reported missing. She knocked on the door
and waited about thirty minutes before Ashley came out. Ashley
(10:07):
didn't answer any questions about Melody, but said all this
had been hard on her mental health and she didn't
appreciate all the attention she's getting and the fact that
Karina was knocking on the door when she didn't want
to answer. She said, normally Ashley has no emotion, She's
just very straight faced. Also, around this time, Ashley had
(10:28):
been seen packing a U haul with boxes and appliances.
November six, the man named Tyler Brewer reported that he
was held against his will at Ashley's home. He had
actually been there several times before this incident. He's a
paralegal and also an acquaintance of hers, and he offered
to help, thinking maybe she had a family law issue
(10:49):
about to come up. He also knew Melody had been
taken from Ashley in the past. On that last visit,
he was inside the home when, according to him, she
told him things she must have regretted, saying like where
Melody was and who she was with, but he said
a box cutter was produced by Ashley Yeah several times
to leave, but she wouldn't let him. He also said
(11:11):
the doors had several locks on them. Now. Tyler was
on Banfield later and went more in depth about what
happened at the house that night. He said after his
second visit to Ashley's, a detective pulled him over and
said he would need to report back anything he learned
about Melody to them, so he did. On that last visit,
he said, Ashley told him this story, which is absolute
(11:33):
bs that she went on the road trip at the
instruction of people she barely knew to drop Melody off
with them in Utah. What was the reason. Ashley said
she had some outpatient surgery coming up and Melody needed
to be away from her for at least a month
or two for Ashley to get back on her feet.
She told Tyler she knew nothing about these people and
(11:55):
she had no contact information, which he thought was weird
because Ashley said she had been communicating with them. She
said the phone number had been changed and the people
told her when they got home, Melody would start calling her.
She told Tyler they met these people at a zoo,
and the couple had a daughter, Melody's age, and wanted
a playmate for her. He said Ashley didn't want to
(12:17):
say too much because she told Tyler she thought the
house could be bugged. Ashley said the location for drop
off change because the couple was paranoid of the government.
They were scared they were being spied on and being followed,
so according to Ashley, the location changed several times. He
also said Ashley had started deleting all of her online
(12:37):
accounts because she was worried about being traced. She started
deleting her Amazon account, her email account, changing her bank account,
things like that. He also said Ashley had lined up
these photos of Melody on the couch. There is video
showing Ashley taking down the missing posters that were put
in front of her house by neighbors and people coming by.
(13:00):
He said that she had all of the photos lined
up of Melody on the couch and he called it
a little shrine. And oddly enough, there was a back pillow,
you know, the kind that has the big back with
the little arms. That's what he's talking about, I believe,
and that was dressed in Melody's clothes. An orange hoodie.
At one point, he set a pair of pants. She
(13:20):
told Tyler she did this because she missed Melody. But
towards the end of this last conversation, she started saying
that she couldn't trust him. He wasn't a pair of
legal and she said he was going to jail for
pretending to have an office and that he was working
as an undercover officer. Now, Ashley recorded this without Eyler's consent.
(13:40):
Brian Inton had this audio on his podcast, so I
will link that below, but I'm going to play for
you the clip where she is accusing him of these things.
So let's listen. Now, I don't lie.
Speaker 2 (13:54):
You're a really good liar like Tyler. I'm Tyler, definitely Tyler.
Be quiet and listen. Please look at me like I'm
an intelligent woman. I'm forty years old. You deal with
legal stuff like who are you kiding? Tyler? I'm not
(14:17):
trying to be disrespectful, and you need a reality check.
If this is on media news like news talk shows,
they're gonna be seeing you. They're gonna be interested, and
you have to understand that. I'm aware whether you want
(14:37):
to invent it or not, you want the attention I
don't want the attention. There is absolutely no way in
hell that you are not bipolar or have an extreme issue.
If you don't realize what you're doing is false advertisement
and there are real legal ramifications. I don't know how
you honestly are not worried about being put in jail.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
I will like to at this moment.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Since you're leaving in an uncomfortable way, I want the
keys to my house and the storage. Nobody else has keys.
Is that correct, Tyler? Genuinely, if you've been here genuinely
to help, I appreciate it. The lies are a lot,
(15:33):
and especially if you are genuine and trying to help
in your own way, you should be very concerned if
they recognize you, because anyone else like running for district,
it doesn't add up. I'm not threatening you, but I'm
(15:55):
saying like I'm not threatening you at all. I'm trying
to help as a friend because I feel like it
has to be bipolar or something. But I don't think
you're grasping the level of of online things that don't
make sense.
Speaker 3 (16:12):
No, I understand where you're coming from that this moment
where I could leave, and I'm more than receptive.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
If you want to call her, text me how do
I send you the money if you receipt?
Speaker 3 (16:23):
Concerned about me about but I'm I'm still I'm still
very receptive. Should he want her call me or text me?
That been nothing intentionally to be to speakable.
Speaker 1 (16:35):
Tyler said another thing Ashley had him do was to
go make copies of her house and storage shed keys.
He said she was preparing to be arrested and wanted
him to empty your house and the storage shed if
she did get arrested so she wouldn't lose her stuff. Now,
Ashley have been seen loading things into a U haul.
Tyler said the things in the boxes was clothing that
(16:59):
belonged to Melody, and Ashley said she had outgrown them.
She was also seen getting a lot of boxes delivered
while under surveillance. He said that Ashley has food, wigs,
toilet tries, pretty much everything mailed to her. He said
Ashley told him she was addicted to shopping, but he
couldn't understand where she was getting the money from. So
I've researched this and all I can find is that
(17:21):
she lives off of Social Security payments and it sounds
like possibly survivor benefits for Melody, and that would be
around eleven hundred each month. And as you know, when
a parent passes away up until a certain age, I
think in California it's twenty two. Children get a monthly
check from the government. He said Ashley told him people
were comparing her to Casey Anthony, and she allegedly told
(17:44):
him at least I'm not out partying. Kyler said he
told Ashley people were saying either she trafficked Melody or
killed her, and he asked which one it was. He
said Ashley started fake crying but would not answer the question.
He also said when he would question her, she would say,
he's getting triggered, and he also said the word triggered
was one of her favorite words. On November seventh, Ashley
(18:07):
was arrested for a charge of felony false imprisonment related
to this incident with Tyler, and November twelfth was her
first appearance for those charges, and she pleaded not guilty.
Prosecution asked she not be released, saying that she was
a flight risk. She would wear wigs to disguise herself
and also switched out license plates, but against the prosecution's request,
(18:29):
the judge did allow Melody to go home with GPS
monitoring and other rules like she couldn't possess a firearm
and not contact the alleged victim. On November twentieth, she
had her preliminary hearing and the judge dropped the charges
after this recording between Ashley and Tyler didn't match what
Tyler told police. That was the recording we just listened to.
(18:53):
On December sixth, police responded to a call from a
couple traveling in a remote area of Wayne County, u
s Utah near Caneville. They were taking photos when they
found Melody's body. December eighth, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's
Office were notified of those remains being found. They were
told the victim was female and had multiple gunshot wounds
(19:14):
to the head, but due to how decomposed the remains were,
they would need to perform DNA analysis to confirm it
was Melody. December twenty second, the FBI Crime Lab confirmed
through DNA to Ashley that the remains were in fact
of Melody. December twenty third, Ashley was arrested around seven
fifty one am. Later that morning, investigators were back at
(19:36):
the home and they were seen bringing out Brown evidence backs.
A neighbor told KSB why the arrest was quick. They
banged on the door with something metal and then pride
to open the door to get inside. She was formerly
charged on Christmas Eve for first degree murdered with special
allegations and that is lying in wait. Melody's grandmother, Lily
told the La Times, the detective called me this morning
(19:59):
to let me know they found the baby and the
baby is with her dad. I knew he was telling
me that the baby is dead. There also was a
press conference later that day in Santa Barbara County. Sheriff
Corner Bill Brown said this level of criminal activity is
really shocking, given the calculated, cold blooded, and criminally sophisticated
(20:19):
premeditation and heartlessness that went into planning it, and then
the ruthlessness that went into actually committing the crime. He said,
they have recovered a significant amount of evidence that clearly
indicates this heinous crime was committed by Ashley, the person
Melody relied on and trusted most in the world. Investigators
(20:40):
and allied agencies worked simultaneously on multiple fronts. Some were
maintaining round the clock surveillance on Ashley, while others were
focused on collection analysis and verification of digital and forensic evidence.
Andy said detectives faced deliberate efforts to prevent them from
finding Melody and uncovering the truth. Special Agent Patrick Randy
(21:03):
from the FBI said our collective hearts were broken. After
the press conference, her attorneys said there were statements made
that could impact Ashley's presumption of innocence and the possibility
affair and impartial jurors being selected in that county. He
said they will prepare any and all defenses for Ashley.
When asked if the case would be tried in Santa
(21:24):
Barbara or Utah, they said the intent was formed in
Santa Barbara prior to going on the road trip, so
she will be tried in California, and they have not
established a motive. Her first appearance was on December twenty sixth,
and she pleaded not guilty. Her attorney actually put the
plea in for her, and there were reactions from those
in attendance, and the judge had to address that prosecutors
(21:48):
will not seek the death penalty. They're going to opt
for life without parole. The judge also issued a gag
order barring police from discussing information outside the public record.
At least until January seven. Melody's paternal grandmother was in attendance,
and according to Nancy Lou from News Nation, her grandmother
said they are working on funeral arrangements for little Melody.
(22:11):
So some backstory stuff on Ashley. Back in twenty seventeen,
she filed for Chapter seven bankruptcy. She had five accounts
in collections, as well as a small claims lawsuit for
unpaid debt. The most recent lawsuit was filed by Capital
One in May. She's also said to have a very
bad relationship with her mom, Laurie Miranda. In fact, Tyler
(22:35):
the one who said he was held against his will
that the Ashley told him she would rather Melody be
in a group home or in foster care as opposed
to her own family. And there was an article written
about Ashley and her mom in the Santa Maria Times
back in ninety four and the title was Lessons from
the School of Hard Knocks Back when Ashley herself was
(22:57):
nine years old. In June of nineteen nine, twine four,
her and her mother became homeless after leaving Orange County
to go to the Central Coast, and the reason to
get away from Ashley's abusive father, who her mother said
was physically, emotionally and verbally abusive. He also abused drugs
and would have very violent episodes where he would do
(23:19):
things like smash windows. After they left, they moved to
different places and would often stay in hotels. Ashley's mom
told the publication they arrived in Santa Maria with forty
dollars and she had no job, no car, and no home.
They lived in the Good Samaritan Shelter in Santa Maria
for a short time before moving into an apartment. Laurie
(23:40):
told the newspaper she was so scared because she knew
nobody and just felt very uncomfortable, and Ashley was part
of the school district's outreach program that helped homeless students.
When Ashley was in the eleventh grade, she filed a
petition to be emancipated from her mom, but the judge
did not grant the petition. The judge said Ashley submitted
(24:01):
nothing to the courts about her income and expenses, and
noted she also still lived with her mom. Melody's half sister, Carina,
talked to Criminally Obsessed Great podcast, I'm going to link
that in the description and said that Their dad was
forty when he died and she was twenty three. She
had had breakfast with him that morning and then went
to work and during her shift she got a call
(24:23):
telling her he had the accident, and she said they
were very close. She said their dad loved Melody and
he was just really excited to have a new baby,
and she meant everything to him. In fact, Melody's half
sister has a daughter who is just a year younger
than Melody. When she first met Ashley, she noticed she
was just very quiet. They all went to six Flags together.
(24:44):
She had heard Ashley have mental health issues, but her
understanding was when her dad and Ashley first met, it
was under control, but over time that changed. She isn't
exactly sure what Ashley's diagnosis is, but she did hear
at one point Ashley tried to self harm by taking pills.
Coarina's grandmother, Lily, was told by Ashley that Melody was
(25:05):
in the custody of a friend of Ashley's who ended
up adopting her, and this friend did not want the
paternal family to have contact with Melody. She said Melody
was in foster care a couple of times due to
Ashley's mental health issues, but was given back to Ashley
every time. She didn't even know Ashley had Melody back
(25:26):
until Child Welfare Services called to ask her questions like
if she knew where Melody was or if she had
contact with Ashley or Melody. She also said she didn't
get to see Melody much. The last time she saw
her sister was in November twenty twenty, and she also
said her grandma was the middle person with Ashley. After
she was called and asked about whether or not she
(25:46):
had seen Melody or Ashley, it broke on social media
that Melody was missing and that is how she found out.
She did go to Ashley's house the day after Child
Welfare called her and she asked Ashley, where's Melody, But
she really didn't answer the questions and when she answered anything,
it was limited. She did say everything that was going
on with her was messing with her mental health. Ashley
(26:10):
did not let her inside the house, and she said
Ashley showed no emotion. After the not guilty plead, Melody's grandma,
Lily talked to the press and she was shocked that
Ashley pleaded not guilty and she said, you heard the
people in the courtroom. Her next scheduled court date is
January seventh for a preliminary hearing, and the gag order
(26:31):
will most likely be discussed again on that date. So
that's what I could pack into one episode. There's a
lot more. I'm finding a lot about her past online,
and I'm just a little hesitant to report it because
it's not verified, so I'll avoid that for now. I'm
definitely going to follow this one very closely, and we
will see what happens. I do have a feeling that
(26:53):
mental health is going to come into play very strongly
in this case. However, there's a lot of premeditation and
a lot of lit and a lot of covering up.
But you can also be very mentally ill and culpable,
and I think that's going to be the case here,
because when you lie and cover things up and make
elaborate stories, no matter how crazy they are, you know
(27:13):
what you did was wrong. We will see how this unfolds.
That is it for now. I hope you guys have
a good arrest of your evening and we will see
you soon.
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The Burden
The Burden is a documentary series that takes listeners into the hidden places where justice is done (and undone). It dives deep into the lives of heroes and villains. And it focuses a spotlight on those who triumph even when the odds are against them. Season 5 - The Burden: Death & Deceit in Alliance On April Fools Day 1999, 26-year-old Yvonne Layne was found murdered in her Alliance, Ohio home. David Thorne, her ex-boyfriend and father of one of her children, was instantly a suspect. Another young man admitted to the murder, and David breathed a sigh of relief, until the confessed murderer fingered David; “He paid me to do it.” David was sentenced to life without parole. Two decades later, Pulitzer winner and podcast host, Maggie Freleng (Bone Valley Season 3: Graves County, Wrongful Conviction, Suave) launched a “live” investigation into David's conviction alongside Jason Baldwin (himself wrongfully convicted as a member of the West Memphis Three). Maggie had come to believe that the entire investigation of David was botched by the tiny local police department, or worse, covered up the real killer. Was Maggie correct? Was David’s claim of innocence credible? In Death and Deceit in Alliance, Maggie recounts the case that launched her career, and ultimately, “broke” her.” The results will shock the listener and reduce Maggie to tears and self-doubt. This is not your typical wrongful conviction story. In fact, it turns the genre on its head. It asks the question: What if our champions are foolish? Season 4 - The Burden: Get the Money and Run “Trying to murder my father, this was the thing that put me on the path.” That’s Joe Loya and that path was bank robbery. Bank, bank, bank, bank, bank. In season 4 of The Burden: Get the Money and Run, we hear from Joe who was once the most prolific bank robber in Southern California, and beyond. He used disguises, body doubles, proxies. He leaped over counters, grabbed the money and ran. Even as the FBI was closing in. It was a showdown between a daring bank robber, and a patient FBI agent. Joe was no ordinary bank robber. He was bright, articulate, charismatic, and driven by a dark rage that he summoned up at will. In seven episodes, Joe tells all: the what, the how… and the why. Including why he tried to murder his father. Season 3 - The Burden: Avenger Miriam Lewin is one of Argentina’s leading journalists today. At 19 years old, she was kidnapped off the streets of Buenos Aires for her political activism and thrown into a concentration camp. Thousands of her fellow inmates were executed, tossed alive from a cargo plane into the ocean. Miriam, along with a handful of others, will survive the camp. Then as a journalist, she will wage a decades long campaign to bring her tormentors to justice. Avenger is about one woman’s triumphant battle against unbelievable odds to survive torture, claim justice for the crimes done against her and others like her, and change the future of her country. Season 2 - The Burden: Empire on Blood Empire on Blood is set in the Bronx, NY, in the early 90s, when two young drug dealers ruled an intersection known as “The Corner on Blood.” The boss, Calvin Buari, lived large. He and a protege swore they would build an empire on blood. Then the relationship frayed and the protege accused Calvin of a double homicide which he claimed he didn’t do. But did he? Award-winning journalist Steve Fishman spent seven years to answer that question. This is the story of one man’s last chance to overturn his life sentence. He may prevail, but someone’s gotta pay. The Burden: Empire on Blood is the director’s cut of the true crime classic which reached #1 on the charts when it was first released half a dozen years ago. Season 1 - The Burden In the 1990s, Detective Louis N. Scarcella was legendary. In a city overrun by violent crime, he cracked the toughest cases and put away the worst criminals. “The Hulk” was his nickname. Then the story changed. Scarcella ran into a group of convicted murderers who all say they are innocent. They turned themselves into jailhouse-lawyers and in prison founded a lway firm. When they realized Scarcella helped put many of them away, they set their sights on taking him down. And with the help of a NY Times reporter they have a chance. For years, Scarcella insisted he did nothing wrong. But that’s all he’d say. Until we tracked Scarcella to a sauna in a Russian bathhouse, where he started to talk..and talk and talk. “The guilty have gone free,” he whispered. And then agreed to take us into the belly of the beast. Welcome to The Burden.