Michael Vaughan Case: Idaho Woman Charged

An Idaho woman has been arrested and charged in connection with the 2021 disappearance of a 5-year-old boy who lived just down the street from her, say authorities.

On Friday, Sarah Wondra, 35, of Fruitland, was arrested and charged with felony failure to report a death in a case that has haunted the city for more than a year, according to court records obtained by PEOPLE.

Michael Vaughan was last seen at about 6:30 p.m. on July 27, 2021, in his neighborhood in the area of Southwest 9th Street, near Redwing Street, where Wondra and her husband Stacey Wondra live, KTVB reports.

"Our investigation determined Sarah Wondra may have had knowledge of Michael's death and failed to report it," Fruitland Police Chief J.D. Huff alleged Monday to KTVB.

"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," Huff said.

Authorities have been searching for Michael since he vanished.

Recently, police received a "very credible tip," Huff said, that led them to Michael's neighborhood and to Wondra, KATV reports.

"During the course of the investigation we received information the remains of Michael Vaughan might be found [behind the Wondras' house]," Huff told KTVB on Saturday.

"As a result, we obtained a search warrant. We have not found anything yet, but we will continue to excavate in hopes of finding his remains," Huff added.

On Friday night, police served the search warrant at Wondra's home, a probable cause affidavit shows, the Idaho Statesman reports.

Since Friday night, crews have been digging up the yard of the home. Cadaver dogs also searched the yard.

'God Already Told Me Who Did It'

After her arrest, YouTuber Jonathan Lee Riches pointed out that Wondra had posted TikToks of herself in her kitchen with Michael's missing persons flyer on the refrigerator behind her.

"Authorities are searching her property right now," Riches says in the video. "That's very, very disturbing to see a flyer of a missing person on a possible suspect's refrigerator."

Wondra appeared in court on Monday. She didn't enter a plea but told the judge the accusations against her are "not correct," the Idaho Statesman reports.

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When the judge informed her of her rights, she replied, "I don't have any reason to be silent because I didn't do anything wrong," the newspaper reports.

While she was detained Friday night, she allegedly told police she had nothing to do with Michael's death, the affidavit states, the Idaho Statesman reports.

She allegedly said she "definitely did not kill that boy," and that "God already told me who did it," the affidavit says, the Idaho Statesman reports.

She also allegedly told police she had never murdered anyone but implicated her husband in the boy's death.

She told officers her husband allegedly buried the boy "in the backyard by the shed," the affidavit says.

The day before Michael vanished, Stacey Wondra took Sarah Wondra to the emergency room, he wrote on his Facebook page.

"I'm feeling really worried about my wife Sarah Anne Wondra," he wrote. "She's not feeling good at all. She's having a lot of pain in her side of her stomach. Please be praying for my baby that she feels much better. I love you baby. Feel better — feeling worried."

On July 28, 2021, a day after Michael vanished, Stacey posted a news story about the missing boy on his Facebook page. Four days later, he posted the boy's picture on his Facebook page.

Authorities have not said whether Stacey is a suspect.

Sarah Wondra remains held on a $500,000 bond. Her attorney had no comment.

The Fruitland Police Department did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.

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