Woman faces $1 million bond in 2021 Fruitland boy murder case

Sarah Wondra was booked into the Payette County Jail on Tuesday after being charged with first-degree murder, second-degree kidnapping, and concealment of evidence. Her bond is set at $1 million, and she is scheduled to appear in Payette County Court on Thursday. Wondra is the second person charged in connection with the disappearance of 5-year-old Michael Vaughan.

Michael Vaughan vanished from his family home in Fruitland on July 27, 2021. His remains have not been found despite years of investigation. Wondra’s name first entered the public record in November 2022, more than a year after the boy went missing.

At that time, investigators searched the backyard of the Redwing Street home where Wondra lived with her then husband, Stacey Wondra. The property is located a few blocks from the Vaughan home. Police said the excavation was prompted by a credible tip from someone who lived at the property.

Fruitland Police Chief J.D. Huff stated that investigators believed Michael was abducted, killed, and buried on the property before his remains were moved. Wondra was arrested at the start of that search and charged with failing to report a death. That charge was dismissed in April 2023 after she was found mentally competent to proceed.

Stacey Wondra was charged with first-degree murder and second-degree kidnapping in 2025. During court proceedings earlier this year, prosecutors played police interviews from 2022 in which he described seeing Michael with duct tape over his mouth. He also discussed a duffel bag that investigators believe may have been used to move the boy.

Stacey Wondra claimed Sarah Wondra told him Michael had been buried in their backyard. His attorneys argue there is insufficient evidence to prove Michael was killed or that Stacey Wondra participated in the crimes, noting that remains have never been located. A judge denied his request to dismiss the charges, and he has pleaded not guilty.

Authorities have not released additional details regarding the evidence behind the new charges against Sarah Wondra. Until Tuesday, Stacey Wondra was the only person charged with Michael Vaughan's death.