Suspect charged with murder, kidnapping in disappearance of Fruitland boy
One of several people previously tied to the disappearance and death of 5-year-old Michael Vaughan has been charged with several crimes, including murder.
Stacey Wondra, 33, has been charged with first-degree murder, second-degree kidnapping and destruction of evidence, Payette County Sheriff Andy Creech told the Idaho Statesman. He and his then-wife, Sarah Wondra, 38, lived less than half a mile away from Michael’s Fruitland home when he disappeared in July 2021.
Creech said he didn’t have any information on whether Sarah Wondra would be facing criminal charges.
In a statement, Payette County Prosecutor Michael Duke announced that his office was “moving forward with charges against the individuals” involved in Michael’s disappearance and killing. When reached by phone, the Payette County Prosecutor’s Office declined to comment on the individuals’ identities, saying that they had “no comment” aside from the news release.
“After a robust investigation by the Fruitland Police Department and countless assisting agencies, we have unfortunately been unable to locate Michael to recover his remains,” Duke wrote. “Our foremost hope has always been to recover Michael but delays now risk further harm to his loved ones.
“We believe we know the individuals involved and are committed to pursuing justice with or without Michael’s recovery.”
The Wondras were identified as suspects three years ago by Fruitland Police Chief JD Huff after law enforcement excavated their backyard, searching the area for human remains. After removing and sifting through 250 yards of dirt, cadaver dogs altered authorities to human remains, but none were found, Huff told reporters then.
Following the weekend search, Sarah Wondra was arrested and charged with failure to report a death, but the felony was later dismissed at the request of the Payette County Prosecutor’s Office.
Two other men, who had lived with the Wondras, were also identified as people of interest who might have “firsthand knowledge of Michael’s abduction,” authorities said.
Wondra serving time in federal prison for unrelated crime
The Wondras are both incarcerated because of crimes unrelated to Vaughan’s disappearance.
Stacey Wondra was convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm in 2023. He was sentenced to prison and has been serving a sentence at FCI Phoenix, a federal prison in Arizona. Online records show he was released from the Bureau of Prisons custody on Thursday. It’s unclear where he was being held as of Friday.
Wondra lost his right to own a firearm after he was charged with felony burglary in Gallatin County, Montana, court records showed. Despite that, he went to a pawn shop in Livingston, Montana, in 2018 and lied about his criminal history to obtain the weapon, according to a sentencing memorandum filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana.
“Simply, he made a very dangerous decision to possess a firearm and this decision is even more dangerous because of his own history and characteristics,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Dake wrote. “The defendant also has a criminal history that seems to be increasing in severity over time.”
He added at the time that Wondra has prior convictions for assault, theft and other misdemeanors offenses, and suffered from substance abuse issues.
Sarah Wondra is incarcerated at the South Idaho Correctional Institution, south of Boise, after she pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and destruction of evidence, according to online prison records. She pointed a gun at a guest who stayed with her and then brought the gun to her parents’ house in April 2022, the Statesman previously reported.
Wondra wasn’t charged with those felonies until March 2023, after she’d been arrested in connection with Michael’s death. She’s eligible for parole in February.