The special allegations charge claims that Ashlee Buzzard personally and intentionally discharged a firearm causing death and committed the murder by means of lying in wait.
Ashlee Buzzard was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly killing Melodee, who was shot in the head and found dead in a rural area of Utah in early December, according to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Bill Brown said “cold-blooded and criminally sophisticated premeditation and heartlessness … went into planning” the crime and “ruthlessness … went into actually committing the crime.”
Ashlee Buzzard’s arrest came more than two months after Melodee was reported missing. Authorities said they believe Melodee was killed shortly after she was last seen alive on Oct. 9, near the Colorado-Utah border, during a road trip with her mom.
The examination of a spent shell casing found in Ashlee Buzzard’s home matched what was found at the scene in Utah, and live similar rounds were found in Ashlee Buzzard’s car, officials said.
A motive hasn’t been determined, authorities said.
Steve Tisch, executive vice president of the New York Giants looks on before pre-season football game against the Carolina Panthers at MetLife Stadium on August 18, 2023 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Rich Schultz/Getty Images)
(NEW YORK) — Jeffrey Epstein frequently connected New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch with women, according to dozens of 2013 emails released by the Department of Justice.
In the emails, the late sex offender appeared to be a frequent point of contact for Tisch, coordinating meetings with various women and providing specific details regarding their ages, nationalities, and physical appearances.
Tisch and Epstein discussed specific women, according to the emails, with Tisch frequently inquiring whether they were “pro or civilian” or a “working girl.”
In one April 2013 exchange, Tisch asked Epstein about a woman identified as “M,” writing: “Curious to know about M… pro or civilian?”
Epstein replied that she was a “civilian, but Russian,” and added that she was “fun.” In another exchange in June, Tisch asked if a woman was a “working girl,” to which Epstein replied, “Never.”
In another email, Epstein told Tisch that a Ukrainian woman was “a little freaked by the age difference” but that he would “try to convince her not to return” to her home country.
In another instance, Epstein told Tisch that a microbiology student in Florida was interested in meeting, advising Tisch to “make it clear that you will organize her ticket.”
The documents also indicate that the women were informed of Tisch’s professional background. One woman emailed Epstein in April 2013 stating she had “googled Steve Tisch” and noted he was an “Oscar winner producer, and Giants owner” before agreeing to a meeting.
The communication between the two men often involved invitations to Epstein’s home and sports events. In September 2013, Tisch emailed Epstein to offer “two tickets in my Suite for Sundays game.” Epstein, in an April 2013 email, referred to Tisch as a “new but obviously shared interest friend.”
Tisch has not been charged with any wrongdoing.
In a statement to ABC News provided by a Giants spokesperson, Tisch said on Epstein, “We had a brief association where we exchanged emails about adult women, and in addition, we discussed movies, philanthropy and investments. I did not take him up on any of his invitations and never went to his island. As we all know now, he was a terrible person and someone I deeply regret associating with.”
Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges that he “sexually exploited and abused dozens of minor girls at his homes in Manhattan, New York, and Palm Beach, Florida, among other locations,” using cash payments to recruit a “vast network of underage victims,” some of whom were as young as 14 years old.
Law enforcement respond near Temple Israel following reports of an active shooter on March 12, 2026 in West Bloomfield, Michigan. Police continue to investigate as emergency personnel remained on the scene. (Photo by Emily Elconin/Getty Images)
(WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich.) — Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called on people to “lower the temperature” and call out antisemitism following Thursday’s attack on a Detroit-area synagogue that she said on Friday “could have looked a lot more like Sandy Hook” had it not been for security.
And while the governor and other leaders said law enforcement is trying to comb through more evidence about the incident, more information is coming to light about the man who was killed by security guards after he rammed his truck into the temple.
Dearborn Heights Mayor Mo Baydoun said that 41-year-old Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, who lived in his city, had “lost several members of his own family … in an Israeli attack on their home in Lebanon.”
Baydoun joined other leaders in condemning the attack, which took place as children were inside the temple.
“This tragedy comes at a time when communities everywhere are confronting rising hate and senseless violence. No matter where violence occurs, whether in West Bloomfield or anywhere around in the world, harm against innocent people is something we must all stand firmly against,” he said.
“The tensions we see across the world too often find their way into our own neighborhoods, reminding us how deeply connected our shared safety is,” the mayor added.
The suspect was armed with a rifle, and the truck contained fireworks and an unidentified chemical agent that ignited soon after the crash, law enforcement sources told ABC News.
No staff or students inside the synagogue were hurt, and the synagogue noted that all 140 students as well as staff, teachers and security all returned home, Whitmer told reporters Friday morning.
The sheriff’s office said one synagogue security guard was hit by the suspect’s truck in the incident and was “knocked unconscious” but was expected to be okay.
Whitmer said she was angry at the situation and said the Jewish community has been on heightened alert because of the rise in antisemitic attacks, threats and rhetoric since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel. The Anti-Defamation League found that there were 9,354 antisemitic incidents across the United States in 2024, a 344% increase over the past five years.
“People like the person who attacked this community yesterday get fulminated by rhetoric that they see online and they see on television and hear on the radio. It radicalizes them,” Whitmer said.
Synagogues and other Jewish centers across the country increased their security following the attack in Michigan, according to several police departments including the NYPD.
“Out of an abundance of caution, and given the overall heightened threat environment, we’re continuing to deploy high-visibility patrols to Jewish religious and cultural institutions in the city,” the NYPD said in a statement.
The governor reiterated that there were children under a year old inside the synagogue during the incident.
“My friend Brian said this could have looked a lot more like Sandy Hook. Let’s not lose sight of that,” Whitmer said.
“This is not a political debate, this is targeting babies who are Jewish. This is antisemitism at its absolute worst,” she added.
Australian-born presenter, Savannah Guthrie poses alongside her mother Nancy Guthrie during a production break whilst hosting NBC’s “Today Show” live from Australia at Sydney Opera House on May 4, 2015 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Don Arnold/WireImage)
(NEW YORK) — “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie announced on Tuesday a new $1 million reward for the recovery of her mom, Nancy Guthrie, who has been missing since Feb. 1.
The combined reward between the family and law enforcement now stands at $1.2 million.
Sources familiar with the family’s decision told ABC News the family was prepared to fund the reward from the start but waited until now because they were initially advised against it.
Separately, the Guthrie family is donating $500,000 to the Center for Missing and Exploited Children to shine a light on other missing persons cases.
Nancy Guthrie, 84, was abducted from her Tucson, Arizona, home by an unknown suspect in the early hours of Sunday, Feb. 1.
“Every hour and minute and second and every long night has been agony,” Savannah Guthrie said in her Tuesday morning Instagram post.
“We still believe in a miracle,” Savannah Guthrie said. “We also know she may be lost. She may be gone.”
Savannah Guthrie said in the video that her mom may be “dancing in heaven,” and “If this is what is to be, then we will accept it. But we need to know where she is.”
“Somebody knows,” Savannah Guthrie said. “And we are begging you to come forward now.”
Savannah Guthrie wrote in the caption that anyone with information can anonymously call the FBI or “reach out to me.”
The FBI has released photos and videos of the unknown armed suspect in front of Nancy Guthrie’s home, appearing to tamper with a security camera.
The FBI in Phoenix said in a statement on Tuesday, “If you have firsthand knowledge of Nancy’s whereabouts or any information about where she may be located, please contact the FBI tip line at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324).”
“To help keep the tip line available for actionable investigative law enforcement leads, please submit only serious and detailed fact-based information – no well-wishes or case theories,” the FBI added. “The tip line is not for personal messages to the Guthrie family.”
Anyone with information is urged to call 911, the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI, or the Pima County Sheriff’s Department at 520-351-4900.
