Michael Vaughan Update Awaited As Police Finish Excavation of Wondra House

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Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

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A vigil was held on Wednesday night in Fruitland, Idaho, as the community came together for Michael Vaughan, the missing local boy whose possible death police believe was hidden by a 35-year-old neighbor.

Organizers of the prayer circle asked the roughly 100 participants to bring a candle at Fruitland Community Park at 6 p.m. and pray for Michael, his family, law enforcement and search and rescue while the fate of the boy remains unknown.

Sarah Wondra, who lives with her husband just minutes away from the boy's family home in the rural community of Fruitland, was arrested on November 12 and charged with failure to notify authorities of a death. In Idaho, failing or delaying to notify a death is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $1,000 fine.

The disappearance of the boy dates back to July 27, 2021, when a 5-year-old Michael Vaughan reportedly snuck out of his family home to go play with his friend, unnoticed, while his mother Brandi Neal was working, and her husband was home organizing dinner. Neal later learned that the child had then gone to three neighbors' houses, according to the news outlet News Nation Now.

Police tape at an accident scene.
File photo of police tape at the scene of an accident - Fruitland police's search for missing 6-year-old boy Michael Vaughan continues. evgeny_pylayev/Getty

In early reports on the investigation into the child's disappearance, Fruitland police said Michael Vaughan, who would now be aged 6, had likely been abducted.

A "very credible" tip led police to focus their suspect over Sarah Wondra and her husband Stacey Wondra a couple of weeks ago, Fruitland Police Chief JD Huff told local news outlet KTVB. A search warrant was issued on their property on November 11, and a day later Sarah Wondra was arrested.

After her arrest, Sarah Wondra was arraigned virtually in Payette County Court on November 14, and later put through a mental competency evaluation. On Tuesday, the 35-year-old woman was deemed mentally unfit to assist in her own defense and continue with court proceedings, so her court dates have been pushed back.

Wondra has been committed to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, while officials are working so that her mental competency is restored by the day of her next status conference, scheduled for December 23.

Following Wondra's arrest, Fruitland police have been digging up the backyard of Wondra's family home, as they're convinced the boy's body is on the property, East Idaho News reports.

On Wednesday, officials finished processing the entire home and excavating its garden but have not yet revealed what they found. A police press conference on the case is expected to take place mid-week next week.

Newsweek has contacted the Fruitland PD for comment.

The location of Sarah Wondra's husband Stacey Wondra remains unclear, though Lauren Matthias, the host of Hidden: A True Crime Podcast and a spokesperson for the Vaughan family, told News Nation that both Wondras were in custody.

Sarah Wondra is also not the only suspect police are looking into.

On Monday, Huff spoke to KTVB reporters and said: "Our investigation determined Sarah Wondra may have had knowledge of Michael's death and failed to report it. We do not believe she is the only person that has knowledge of this, and we will be seeking out those people who could possibly be connected."

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About the writer

Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

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Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property ... Read more