Melodee, of Lompoc, was reported missing in early October as school district officials noted her "prolonged absence," they said.

Authorities have revealed that 9-year-old Melodee Buzzard, whose October disappearance sparked a weeks-long search spanning several states, died from gunshot wounds to the head. Melodee was last seen on Oct. 9 with her mother Ashlee Buzzard at the Colorado-Utah border, according to the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Office .

Ashlee Buzzard, 40, was arrested after bullet cartridges found near her daughter’s body were linked to a used cartridge case found in her home, said Santa Barbara County’s Sheriff-Coroner Bill

Melodee Buzzard's remains were found and her mother, Ashlee, was arrested; details about the arrest are pending.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office will announce “major developments" in the case of missing child Melodee Buzzard on Tuesday afternoon.