Man accused of killing Michael Vaughan seen on video at time of disappearance
Originally Posted Wed, March 4, 2026 at 9:39 AM on CBS2
By Ryan Oswald
PAYETTE, Idaho (CBS2) — Stacey Wondra, the man accused of kidnapping and killing 5-year-old Michael "Monkey" Vaughan, is back in court on Wednesday as part of a preliminary hearing to determine whether or not the prosecution can take the case against him to trial.
The hearing began on Tuesday morning. Michael's mother and father, Brandi and Tyler, were the first to testify. The couple individually testifying to the emotional and terrifying first moments of Michael's disappearance from their home in Fruitland. Three separate K9 handlers, each who aided in various aspects of the search for Michael, also testified. Two of the handlers have specialized K9s that search for and detect human remains. Both dogs indicated the presence of human remains in the backyard of Sarah and Stacey Wondra's home, though Michael's body has not yet been found.
Juanita Kelleher, a Fruitland Police officer, was the first to testify on Wednesday morning. Officer Kelleher was involved in the investigation to find Michael from the very beginning. Officer Kelleher testified that every resource available, including professional search and rescue crews, dogs, and even helicopters, were brought in to assist. She also said that video from surrounding areas shows that Michael didn't leave the neighborhood on foot.
Officer Kelleher testified that she identified a white Lexus, which belonged to Stacey Wondra, pulled into the parking lot of a park and splash pad near Michael's home. According to Kelleher, Stacey was seen on video getting out of his car, testing the door handle on the passenger side. Traffic cameras also show a different vehicle belonging to the Wondras, a maroon pickup truck, left their home some time after 8:00 pm the night Michael disappeared.
Video of an interview with Stacey Wondra in 2022 with Fruitland Police was played in court. Wondra was an inmate at the Washington County Jail on unrelated charges at the time, was played in court. Stacey told detectives that he was trying to give them everything he knows, but wants to know what sort of plea deal he could receive. Stacey told detectives on the video, that he "wanted to help find Michael." The video interview appears to show Stacey attempting to negotiate a deal in exchange for helping find Michael.
