In one of the most disturbing developments we’ve covered on Hidden Killers, the mother at the center of a missing-child case — Ashlee Buzzard — is now a free woman. No charges keeping her inside a jail cell, no requirement to cooperate, no legal mandate to reveal where her daughter is or whether the child is even safe. She walked out the door while the public stood there begging for answers. And she gave them none.



This episode digs deep into the legal reality nobody wants to admit: the system isn’t failing. It’s working exactly as designed — and that’s the problem. In the United States, parental rights sit at the top of the legal pyramid. A parent can refuse to answer questions. A parent can withhold a child’s location. A parent can avoid welfare checks, shut out investigators, and vanish behind phrases like “I don’t have to tell you anything.” Silence isn’t a crime. Evasion isn’t a crime. Even being the last person to see a missing child isn’t automatically a crime.



Meanwhile, the child at the center of all of this remains missing. No confirmed sightings. No independent verification of safety. No evidence that she is alive — or that she isn’t. And the very structure of the system forces investigators to wait for proof they cannot legally obtain without the cooperation of the one person who refuses to give it.



This episode breaks down how this twisted framework came to be, why law enforcement’s hands are tied, how mental-health crises go unaddressed until they become catastrophes, and why American child-protection laws continue to overlook the exact situations that need decisive intervention.



Because a system that allows a missing child to slip into a legal gray zone — while the parent walks away untouched — isn’t just flawed. It’s dangerous. It’s outdated. And it’s time the public understands just how easy it is for a parent to disappear their own child without immediate accountability.



If you care about child safety, accountability, and closing the gaps that let tragedies unfold in silence, this is a conversation you cannot miss.



#HiddenKillers #TonyBrueski #MissingChildCase #AshleeBuzzard #ChildSafety #LawEnforcement #TrueCrimeNews #ChildProtection #JusticeSystem #TrueCrimeCommunity





Want to comment and watch this podcast as a video?



Check out our YouTube Channel. https://www.youtube.com/@hiddenkillerspod

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/hiddenkillerspod/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hiddenkillerspod/

Tik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@hiddenkillerspod

X Twitter https://x.com/tonybpod



Listen Ad-Free On Apple Podcasts Here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/true-crime-today-premium-plus-ad-free-advance-episode/id1705422872