Suspect charged in Michael Vaughan case found fit to proceed after four months in IDHW custody

By Karen Lehr

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    PAYETTE, Idaho (KIVI) — The woman charged in connection to the case of missing Michael “Monkey” Vaughan out of Fruitland has now been found fit to continue with court proceedings.

Sarah Wondra has been in the custody of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare since a mental health evaluation in mid-November found her incompetent. Status conferences have been held each month since then.

On Monday morning, mental health officials and the judge agreed the defendant is now competent to proceed.

“For the record, the examiner states that with a reasonable degree of psychological certainty, Ms. Wondra now meets the requirements of the justice standard and is fit to proceed,” Judge Robert L. Jackson said.

Wondra will now be transferred back to Payette County custody and held on the $500,000 bond that was set upon her original arrest.

Wondra was arrested on November 12, accused of failing to report the death of Michael Vaughan who was five years old when he went missing from his family’s Fruitland home on July 27, 2021.

Officials spent more than a week in November excavating Wondra’s backyard. Investigators said they were confident Vaughan’s remains would be found on the Fruitland property after receiving what they called a “credible tip” from someone who lived in the home. They did not discover any human remains.

At a press conference on December 1, Police Chief JD Huff said authorities believed Vaughan was abducted, killed, buried on the Redwing St. property, then moved.

Fruitland Police said that they believe three other individuals also have information regarding Vaughan’s death and disappearance. No other charges have been filed in the case.

Wondra has a status conference scheduled for April 17 with a preliminary hearing set for April 18.

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