Ashlee Buzzard was arrested for allegedly killing her 9-year-old daughter, Melodee Buzzard, whose body was found in a rural area of Utah with a gunshot wound to the head.

Authorities say Melodee was likely killed shortly after being last seen on October 9 during a road trip with her mother, and investigators have recovered significant evidence linking Ashlee to the crime.

A DNA match and ballistic evidence tied the remains and shell casings to the Buzzard family, though the murder weapon has not been recovered.

Authorities noted Ashlee took deliberate steps to evade detection, including wearing wigs and swapping license plates, and she is not cooperating with investigators, ABC News has reported.

Sheriff Bill Brown described the crime as a rare and incomprehensible case of maternal filicide, emphasizing the deliberate and ruthless nature of the act.