Cops: 9-Year-Old Girl Not Seen in a Year

California authorities are searching for a 9-year-old girl they say has not been seen in a year. The search for Melodee Buzzard began on Tuesday when a school official reported her "prolonged absence," according to a release from the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office. When deputies began investigating, they discovered no verified sightings of the home-schooled girl in a year, reports USA Today.

"We do need the public's help, because we have a giant, one-year segment of this child's life that we can't account for," sheriff's office spokesperson Raquel Zick tells ABC News. "We can't say where she's been for the past year, and we really need some help with that." Investigators say that when they reached out to Melodee's mother, Ashlee Buzzard, at her Lompoc home, the child was not there and no clear explanation was given for her whereabouts. The girl's father is deceased.

A woman identified as Melodee's aunt, Lizabeth Meza, said family members have not seen Melodee in over four years, per KSBY. "The information we have is what the (Child Welfare Services) is letting us know and it is an active investigation so they aren't saying much," she wrote on social media. The sheriff's office is asking for tips, even anonymous ones, through sbsheriff.org.