• April–May 2021
• Witness: Kim Elko attends a yard sale at the Wondra residence.
• She sees a pink “Big Flyer” tricycle resting on a stack of boxes in their garage.
• Elko later describes the garage layout, and investigators confirm the same boxes were still in place during a later search warrant.
• This tricycle is later linked directly to Michael’s disappearance.

• Surveillance footage captures Stacey Wondra driving a white Lexus into the splash pad parking area off SW 8th Street in Fruitland.
• He exits the vehicle, walks around to the passenger side, and tests the door handle of another vehicle or structure.

• Stacey re-enters the Lexus, returns to the driver’s seat, and leaves the area via SW 8th Street one minute after arriving.

• Sarah Wondra later claims she and Stacey slept until noon and left home around 5:00 PM to tow a vehicle to Kuna, Idaho.
• Both deny being home around 6:30 PM (1830 hrs), though surveillance and phone data later prove otherwise.

• Surveillance and cell data place Sarah Wondra, Adrien Lucienne, and Brandon Shurtliff in Sarah’s blue Toyota Corolla traveling within Fruitland.
• Cell tower data shows Sarah, Adrien, and Brandon in Sarah’s blue Toyota Corolla, verified by surveillance in Fruitland.

• The Toyota Corolla leaves the neighborhood.

• The same Corolla returns to the area.

• An adult male, later identified as Brandon Shurtliff, appears walking near Three Rivers Way on surveillance video.

• Multiple neighbors see five-year-old Michael Vaughan near his home on SW 9th Street and South Arizona Avenue.
• He knocks on doors, asking to play with children.
• Neighbors instruct him to return home.
• These are the last confirmed civilian interactions before his disappearance.

• The same male (Shurtliff) is captured again on surveillance walking near the splash pad area.

• Witness: Dorothy Starkey drives westbound on SW 8th Street into the neighborhood.
• She later reports seeing Michael riding a “Big Wheel” tricycle near Redwing Street and Meadowlark Avenue.
• This becomes the final confirmed sighting of Michael alive.

• Surveillance records the last image of Shurtliff, walking west through wooded terrain toward the Wondra residence.
• Shurtliff later tells detectives he was “searching for a missing child.”

• Tyler Vaughan last sees his son Michael (“Monkey”) at their home on SW 9th Street.

• Tyler Vaughan realizes Michael is missing.
• Begins searching his home, yard, and immediate neighborhood.

• Surveillance footage shows Sarah Wondra driving a maroon GMC pickup truck leaving the area.
• Stacey Wondra is the front passenger.
• Brandon Shurtliff is seated in the rear driver-side seat.
• All three phones are co-located, indicating travel toward Kuna, Idaho.

• Tyler Vaughan calls 911 to report Michael missing.
• Fruitland Police Department responds, joined by FBI and local agencies.

• Dorothy Starkey is seen leaving the neighborhood eastbound on SW 8th Street.

• Adrien Lucienne takes a selfie in the guest bathroom of the Wondra residence.
• His phone provides no GPS data for that period.

• LE, fire, and EMS agencies, along with local residents, begin ground search and aerial search (drones and St. Luke’s helicopter). Idaho Mountain S&R arrives shortly after with the K-9 unit. According to BN, K-9s track MJV scent to the end of their street, away from the field to the right of their home, where it abruptly stopped. Source:  Source

• PCSO issues CodeRED to residents in Hidden Meadow Subdivision Source

• A missing-and-endangered alert is issued.

• Surveillance shows the Wondras’ maroon GMC pickup returning to the neighborhood, towing a silver Mercedes-Benz.

• Massive searches by law enforcement, neighbors, and volunteers are conducted throughout Fruitland.
• No trace of Michael is found.
• Video surveillance from multiple neighborhood cameras is reviewed; Michael does not appear on any of it.

• Dorothy Starkey formally reports her sighting of Michael riding the tricycle to the police.

• Investigators find photographs of packed boxes inside the Wondra residence, suggesting they were preparing to move shortly after Michael’s disappearance.

• Chief JD Huff again urged the public to come forward with any information about the missing child.

• Press Release: That search has included nearly 200 residential properties and interviews with all residents. 5-year-olds can get into things. We have looked through nearly 200 garbage cans, drained canals and irrigation ditches, and pumped a septic tank in the area that had a make-shift 2×6 wooden lid. We have gathered over 60 different video files from residential and business security cameras and are combing through that data as we speak. Source
• Fruitland Police conduct an in-person check at the Wondra residence. Source
• Adrien Lucienne is found hiding in a closet.
• Residents present: Stacey and Sarah Wondra, Brandon Shurtliff, and Adrien Lucienne.
• All four are interviewed. Adrien is vague, refuses to provide his Social Security number, and uses Stacey’s number as his own.

• Live scent K9 teams begin tracking using Michael’s shoes.
• K9 “Banshee” follows Michael’s scent from Meadowlark and Redwing Streets straight to the fence and front door of the Wondra home, showing no interest in any other residence among approximately 300 homes checked.
• The scent trail continues down a bluff at SW 8th and Three Rivers Way into thorny bushes, where a discarded stroller is located.

• A dive team search in a local pond near the neighborhood produced no evidence.

• A pink “Big Flyer” tricycle is found behind the “Bluffs” sign at the intersection of Three Rivers Way and SW 8th Street.
• The tricycle was not present during the searches the previous day.
• Resident: Jim Smit reports he found it under the bluff beside the stroller, took it home briefly, intending to use one wheel for a project, but later left it behind the sign for children to use.
• This tricycle is later confirmed as the same one Kim E saw in the Wondra garage in Spring 2021.
• Huff released a newer photo of Michael, said to have been taken just one month before he was last seen.
• Michael was last seen in the area of SW 9th St. and South Arizona Avenue in Fruitland between 6:30 and 7:15 p.m. on July 27. He was wearing a light blue Minecraft T-shirt, dark blue or black boxer briefs with a green stripe and child’s size 11, blue flip flops. He is 3 feet 7 inches tall, weighs 50 pounds, and has blonde hair and blue eyes.

• A dedicated webpage was launched to help citizens find updates and resources on the case.

• Sarah tells Stacey she wants to move and “get out of this neighborhood and this house.”
• Sarah also writes, “I liked it better when you agreed to be no one else here ever, but then you didn’t want to listen to me about our sanctuary, so now we need to find another one. I need a new castle.”

• Two weeks after the disappearance, community members across the Western Treasure Valley held rallies in support of the family.

• Police began using Facebook to provide community updates and share new developments.

• Brandon is kicked out of the Wondra residence.
• Sarah changes her phone number shortly after the dispute.

• Authorities confirmed continued multi-agency cooperation in the local search effort.

• Fruitland Police announced plans to re-search parts of the neighborhood close to Michael’s residence.

• Police announced a scale-back in ground operations but continued an active investigation.

• Sarah Wondra tells investigators that she and Stacey left at 5:00 PM to tow a car to Kuna and were not home around 6:30 PM.
• Data later disproves this, confirming their presence in the area during Michael’s disappearance.

• One month after Michael’s disappearance, Fruitland Police reaffirmed their ongoing commitment to the case.

• Chief Huff addressed the emotional strain on investigators as the search entered its second month.

• A reward fund was established to encourage tips for Michael’s safe return.

• Police continued to appeal to the public for leads regarding the missing boy.

• The reward amount was increased significantly as the investigation continued.

• Sarah Wondra begins public preaching near Love’s Travel Stop in Ontario, Oregon, holding signs reading “Repent of your sins” and “The end is near.”
• Her TikTok activity surges from 11 videos total (pre-disappearance) to 329 new uploads between September 15 and December 24, 2021, focusing on repentance, forgiveness, and sin.
• She claims to have broken all Ten Commandments, including “Thou shalt not kill.”
• Michael’s missing poster is visible in the background of several videos.

• Update in the search for 5-year-old Michael ‘Monkey’ Vaughan. Fruitland PD are now searching TWO different vehicles that were near his neighborhood at the time he vanished.

• Sarah and Stacey re-interviewed.
• Shown photo evidence of Sarah driving the GMC at 7:08 PM July 27.
• She changes her story, claiming they were retrieving Brandon’s Mercedes from Kuna.
• Admits stopping at SW 8th and South Arizona to input GPS directions.

• Four months after his disappearance, police renewed appeals to the public for assistance.

• Police conducted searches around Weiser as the case reached the 150-day mark.

• Residents gathered to hold a candlelight vigil marking five months since Michael’s disappearance.

• The Fruitland Police Department, the Idaho State Police, and the FBI continue to search for 5-year-old Michael Joseph Vaughan. Michael Vaughan has been missing since the evening of July 27, 2021. Since then, our investigators continue to work to determine just what happened during the time leading up to Michael’s disappearance. We have received nearly 850 leads, and nearly all have been cleared. We are working through newly obtained data from that time frame and are hopeful that it will produce new leads. This is an exhaustive, labor-intensive task. The search for Michael has taken on several phases, and after multiple ground searches in and around the area and across the State of Idaho, as we have said, there is a high probability of an abduction.
• The white Honda Pilot, as mentioned in an earlier update, has not been confirmed, but we are confident we know who it belongs to. We will continue to seek confirmation on that vehicle.

• 6:59 PM Fruitland Police respond to multiple 911 calls reporting a disturbance and a possible firearm being pointed at someone.
• 7:04 PM Officers arrive and find Sarah Wondra in the street.
• 7:05 PM Sarah says her husband Stacey is inside the house. The officer instructs her to call Stacey outside. She reports that a guest staying with them, Tanner Butler, became belligerent and refused to leave.
• Officers contact Butler, who disarms himself and states that Stacey had been bumping into him and attempting to strike him, and that Sarah pointed a pistol at his head at close range before he barricaded himself in a room. Butler shows officers a scrape behind his ear.
• A consensual search identifies a holster in the backyard and a Savage .17 HMR rifle box inside, contradicting the Wondras’ statements that no firearms were present. Both Sarah and Stacey deny owning guns, though Stacey admits selling one the day before.
• Detectives then recovered a black Hi Point .40 caliber pistol from Sarah’s parents’ home, which Sarah had brought to them after the incident. She later admits hiding it because she knew she was not supposed to possess a firearm. Officers also find hydrocodone pills inside Sarah’s purse during the search.

• Sarah’s mother, Kay Ramsey, told investigators she had found a tricycle hidden in nearby bushes before Michael vanished, and later threw away a green stuffed-animal ear that their dog had unearthed.

• Governor Brad Little planned a ceremonial bill signing in Fruitland to honor Idaho’s Endangered Missing Persons legislation.

• Governor Brad Little formally signed “Monkey’s Law” in Fruitland, recognizing the case’s impact.

• Witness: Kristi Kutch tells investigators that Sarah confessed that Stacey was involved in abducting a five-year-old boy.
• In a later June 2022 jail call, Sarah recants, claiming Kristi misunderstood.
• Investigators also learned that Sarah’s dog repeatedly dug holes in their backyard, in areas where cadaver dogs would later alert.

• Federal Indictment Filed Against Sarah Wondra: A federal grand jury returns an indictment charging Sarah Wondra with possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance (18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3)). Source
• The indictment states that between April 14–17, 2022, Sarah knowingly possessed a Hi-Point .40 caliber pistol while unlawfully using controlled substances.
• This charge stems directly from the April 13, 2022, disturbance where Sarah pointed a handgun at Tanner Butler, then hid the gun at her parents’ home.

• The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho filed a motion for detention against Stacey Wondra in United States v. Wondra, Case No. 1:22-cr-00098-DCN. Source
• The filing, submitted by U.S. Attorney Rafael M. Gonzalez Jr. and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin C. Blackadar, requested detention under 18 U.S.C. § § 3142(e) and (f).
• The motion cited a felony involving a minor victim and alleged that Wondra posed a risk of flight and a danger to the community.

• Sarah recants, claiming Kristi misunderstood.

• A community birthday celebration and fundraiser were scheduled for Michael’s sixth birthday.

• Michael’s family shared emotional reflections as his birthday approached.

• Investigators continue an effort to identify a man seen walking through the splash pad area of Crestview Park leading up to the time of Michael’s disappearance. The man is described as a white male adult, late 20s to early 30s. He was seen wearing black shorts, a white t-shirt with cut off sleeves, dark colored shoes and hat. It is important to note that he is not a suspect or a person of interest, but police need to speak with him to determine his whereabouts and if he witnessed anything that would helpful to the investigation Source

• Fruitland Community Park hosted a conference updating the public on ongoing multi-state investigative efforts.

• Sarah Wondra tells detectives, “God told me He will help me find the boy.”
• Becomes emotional when Michael’s name is mentioned and writes a handwritten testimony stating that God forgave her sins.

• Stacey Wondra, incarcerated in Washington County Jail, contacts Fruitland Police.
• Stacey Wondra requested an interview from the Washington County Jail and said Sarah carried Michael into their house the night he disappeared.
• Says Sarah’s behavior changed days after Michael’s disappearance.
• Mentions switching SIM cards and selling phones to avoid being tracked.

• Stacey confesses that Michael was brought into their home the night he disappeared.
• Sarah carried Michael inside.
• She, Brandon, and Adrien bound him with duct tape and placed him in a duffel bag.
• Michael cried, struggled, then went silent.
• Stacey reports seeing Michael folded in a fetal position inside the bag and vomits while recounting it.
• They stopped at SW 8th and South Arizona to check if Michael was alive and heard a “dull scream.”
• They then drove to Brandon’s mother’s home in Kuna, where Brandon carried the duffel bag inside.
• The next day, Sarah, Brandon, and Adrien returned to Fruitland and buried Michael’s body in the backyard near the shed.
• Same-day phone call:
• Stacey tells his mother, Tamara Johnson, that “Sarah accidentally killed him.”
• When asked how, he says: “Suffocation. They buried him in a duffel bag.”
• Afterward, Stacey writes an apology letter to Michael’s parents and attempts suicide in jail.
• Cadaver dogs alerted multiple times in the Wondra backyard near a shed during a police search related to the disappearance of Michael Vaughan.

• Search warrant executed at the Wondra residence. Sarah is detained and makes several unsolicited statements:
• “I definitely did not kill that boy.”
• “God told me Stacey was the one who killed him.”
• “He buried him in the backyard by the shed.”
• Five certified cadaver dogs alerted in the same area of the backyard.
• Investigators note freshly filled and re-sodded soil.
• Despite extensive excavation, no remains were recovered.
• Prosecutors allege that Sarah Wondra failed to notify law enforcement or the coroner about the death of Michael Vaughan with intent to prevent discovery of the manner of death.

• A felony complaint was filed in Payette County, Idaho, by Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Eric Reed under Idaho Code §19-4301A(3), Failure to Report Death. The case was filed under Prosecuting Attorney Michael Duke. A magistrate found probable cause for the charge.

• A judge ordered the arrested woman to undergo treatment before trial.

• Update: The investigation of the Disappearance of Michael Joseph Vaughan To date, Fruitland Police investigators believe that there are four individuals involved in the abduction of Michael Vaughan.  Source
• Two of the individuals are in custody: Sarah and Stacey Wondra. The following two individuals are needed for questioning:
• Brandon Shurtliff, 30, of Kuna, Idaho. He is currently believed to be in North Dakota.
• Adrien Lucienne, 32, a male, of Toledo, Ohio. He is currently believed to be in Toledo, but floats between California and Ohio.
• We believe that both Shurtliff and Lucienne have first-hand knowledge of Michael’s abduction. Fruitland police strongly encourage Shurtliff and Lucienne to contact detectives at (208) 452-3000, as the window of time to speak is closing. This remains an ongoing investigation, with conversations ongoing with the Payette County Prosecutor’s Office regarding the individuals involved.
• Currently, Sarah Wondra, 35, is being held in the Payette County Jail for failing to report a death to law enforcement. Stacey Wondra, 30, is currently being held in the Washington County Jail on unrelated charges.
• The Wondras live at 1102 Redwing St. in Fruitland and were living there at the time of Michael’s disappearance. We believe that Sarah and Stacey have first-hand knowledge of Michael’s abduction.
• Update: During that excavation process, Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue and Mountain States Detection Dogs deployed multiple Certified Human Remains Detection K9’s on the property, all alerting to the presence of human remains. Ground-penetrating radar was also deployed, detecting anomalies in the yard. We completed the excavation to a depth of four feet of the entire back yard and removed over 250 yards of dirt. Prior to backfilling the yard, the dirt was meticulously sifted for any potential human remains. We did not find Michael’s remains.

• A second property search yielded no discoveries.

• Court proceedings continued regarding Sarah Wondra’s competency and detention status.
• The Fruitland Police Department and Idaho State Police continued their investigation into the disappearance and death of Michael Vaughan.
• Supporting Findings – Late 2022 – 2023
• Wondras sold or discarded phones, vehicles, and furniture soon after July 27, 2021, with Sarah claiming a “demon told her to.”
• The GMC pickup was repossessed and found completely cleaned.
• Cloud records show searches for rental housing in other states within weeks of the disappearance.
• A photograph from July 30, 2021, shows packed boxes, confirming early preparations to relocate.

• Court hearings for Sarah Wondra, charged in the case, were postponed.

• Hearings were again delayed to April.

• The accused was found competent to proceed to trial.

• Sarah Wondra was re-arraigned on previously dropped charges related to the case.
• Officials emphasized that the case remained active and complicated, with Sarah Wondra the only person charged.

• Prosecutors dismiss the charge against Sarah Wondra in the Michael Vaughan case. The dismissal is without prejudice, meaning it could be refiled at a later date.

• A separate felony case related to a 2022 gun crime was rescheduled.

• Prosecutors clarified that dismissal of one set of charges would not end the investigation into Michael’s disappearance.

• Sarah told Detective Kelleher and Cold Case Foundation investigator Chris McDonough, “God forgave everybody,” while crying when Michael’s name was mentioned.

• Case Number: CR38-25-1296
• Court: Third Judicial District Court, Payette County, Idaho
• Filed By: Detective Juanita Kelleher (Fruitland Police Department)
• Prosecutor: Michael Duke, Payette County Prosecuting Attorney
• Judge: Hon. Michael W. Griffin
• Charges Filed Against Sarah Anne Wondra:
• 1. First-Degree Murder – Idaho Code §§ 18-4001, 18-4002, 18-4003 and 18-1701 (aiding and abetting). Alleged that on or about July 27, 2021, she willfully, deliberately, with premeditation and malice aforethought, killed M.V. (DOB 2016), or caused his death during the commission or attempt of a kidnapping.
• 2. Second-Degree Kidnapping – Idaho Code §§ 18-4501 to 18-4503 and 18-1701. Alleged that on or about July 27, 2021, she willfully and without lawful authority seized, confined, led, or enticed M.V. away with intent to secretly confine or detain him against his will.
• 3. Destruction or Concealment of Evidence – Idaho Code § 18-2603. Between July 27 2021, and May 21, 2025, she knowingly destroyed, altered, or concealed a body and/or DNA evidence to prevent discovery in a felony investigation.
• Persistent Violator Enhancement – Idaho Code § 19-2514 Lists two prior felony convictions:
• 2013 (Oregon) – Attempted Robbery and Identity Theft.
• 2023 (Idaho) – Aggravated Assault and/or Concealment of Evidence.
• Additional Details: The complaint covers criminal conduct occurring “between July 27, 2021, and May 21, 2025,” indicating ongoing concealment activity through that date. Sarah Wondra is charged as a principal participant under Idaho Code § 18-1701 (aiding and abetting), not as a mere accessory. The document formally identifies Michael Vaughan as “M.V. (DOB 2016)” in the victim designation section.

• Detective Juanita Kelleher (Fruitland PD) files the Probable Cause Affidavit in Payette County District Court.
• Charges against Stacey James Wondra:
• First-Degree Murder – Idaho Code §18-4003(d)
• Second-Degree Kidnapping – Idaho Code §18-4503
• Destruction or Concealment of Evidence – Idaho Code §18-2603
• Detective Juanita Kelleher (Fruitland PD) files the Probable Cause Affidavit in Payette County District Court.
• Charges against Sarah Anne Wondra:
• First-Degree Murder – for the willful and premeditated killing of Michael Vaughan (IC §§ 18-4001–4003, 18-1701).
• Second-Degree Kidnapping – unlawful seizure and confinement of Michael Vaughan (IC §§ 18-4501–4503, 18-1701).
• Destruction or Concealment of Evidence – concealment of the body and/or DNA evidence between July 2021 and May 2025 (IC § 18-2603).
• Persistent Violator Enhancement – based on prior felony convictions (2013 Oregon, 2023 Idaho) under IC § 19-2514.

• Parole Hearing for Sarah Wondra Source

• 1:30 p.m. A female suspect was observed removing signs and banners related to the disappearance of Michael Vaughan in Fruitland, Idaho. Source
• Incident occurred in the 700 block of Whitley Court
• Suspect Description: Female with sandy blonde hair. Wearing black pants and a red coat
• Actions: Removed multiple missing-person signs and banners
• Damaged at least one sign
• Vehicle
• The suspect was seen driving a white GMC Acadia
• Left the area traveling west on Southwest 8th Street

• Fruitland Police Department Update: Police announced a suspect has been identified in connection with the March 16 incident. Source
• The suspect has not been publicly named
• Authorities stated the suspect is cooperating with law enforcement
• Investigation Status: Case remains active and ongoing
• No charges or additional details have been publicly released

• Wondra appears in court in Payette County District Court. Source
• Charges filed:
• First-degree murder
• Kidnapping
• Destruction of evidence
• Persistent violator enhancement
• Court action: Wondra pleads not guilty to all charges.

• 10:00 a.m Stacey Wondra is scheduled to appear in Payette County District Court for a scheduling conference. Hearing time is set for 10:00 a.m. (local time, Mountain Time).

June 2, 2026

• Status Conference

July 14, 2026