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Stacey Wondra (Courtesy: MCSO)
PHOENIX – We have learned that a person who is wanted in connection with the disappearance and murder of a five-year-old in Idaho is being held in Arizona.
What we know:
According to a statement released by the office of Payette County Prosecutor Michael Duke, they are moving forward with charges in connection with the Michael Vaughan case.
Per a Facebook post made by police in Fruitland, Idaho in December 2022, investigators believe there are four individuals involved in the matter, and that two of the individuals – Sarah and Stacey Wondra – were in custody at the time the statement was released.
Court documents we obtained from Maricopa County show that a “Stacey James Wondra” was “picked up from FCI Phoenix on an active extraditable felony warrant” out of Paytette County. Wondra was listed as a 33-year-old in the documents.
What we don’t know:
Court documents we obtained did not list the charges that Wondra is facing in Idaho. The documents merely state that “FCI Phoenix and Payette County Sheriff identified subject as a fugitive.”
The backstory:
According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, Michael was last seen on July 27, 2021.
Per Fruitland Police’s Facebook post, a search warrant was obtained for a home in the community, after they received credible information that Michael’s remains could be found in the home’s backyard. The home was described in the same statement as that of Wondra’s.
Police said that search warrant was served on Nov. 11, and a “methodical excavation” that involved multiple agencies began the following day.
“We completed the excavation to a depth of four feet of the entire backyard 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,” read a portion of the post. “Investigators strongly believe that, based on the evidence, Michael was abducted and is deceased, and that his remains were buried and later moved from the property.”
What they’re saying:
In their statement, Payette County Prosecutors said their “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.”
InvestigationsCrime and Public SafetyIdahoPhoenixNews