Morreale told KTVB via Facebook that her son "is not running" and has nothing to hide. Things had gone quiet in the last few months. The Associated Press contributed to this report. He would give his last morsel of food or his only shirt. Huff later told reporters on scene that they continue to search for Michaels remains marking the very first time that the media learned he may no longer be alive. Idaho State Police and the FBI eventually became involved. "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. FRUITLAND, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) There are new updates in the case of Michael Vaughan, the missing boy from Fruitland. Wondra's parents live directly around the corner, but when KTVB knocked on their door, they didn't answer. Neal said she had never seen or met the Wondra's -- but when the search was underway for Michael, she left flyers at their door. I think it was silent for most of the day, Hartmann said. We have not found anything yet but we will continue to excavate in hopes of finding his remains.' Shurtliff and Lucienne were living in the Wondra's home at the time of Michael's disappearance. They have a backhoe, they have canines, and theyre putting dirt into a dump truck and theyre going away, then theyre sifting through that dirt, Matthias explained. In any missing child case, NCMEC encourages families to continue speaking out and keeping the missing child in the public eye, Hartmann said its important that the media attention continues. Vaughan ordered a pizza, and came back out to the living room. or debate this issue live on our message boards. For now, he said, he just wants to maintain integrity of the case. Michael Joseph Vaughan Case: Idaho Town Searches for Missing 5-Year-Old Crime Small Idaho Town Rallies in Search for Missing 5-Year-Old Boy: 'They're Doing Everything They Can Do'. It's GRAYGATE! Shell get sad, Neal said. Police said they planned on searching inside the home after they were done digging. Im not ready to tell his siblings that hes not coming home, not yet.. It is located right on the Idaho/Oregon border- it takes less than 10 minutes to travel from Fruitland, ID to Ontario, Or. It may or may not be the case here," Hartmann said. Proceedings were placed on hold. Investigators did not locate Michael Vaughans remains during an extensive search of Wondras property in November. Neal stated police also have some of his favorite clothes and his favorite blanket. "Some of those pieces have been sent to a private DNA lab for further analysis. The entire family was called in for a polygraph test, Neal said, during which police kept them all separated. It was the last thing she heard him say to her, she said between quiet sobs. Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. He has wandered a few times, but it doesnt make sense, Neal said. Every day since, Neal says she gets out of bed. The approximate last known location was 9th Street and Arizona in Fruitland. Question: Who or what caused Michael Vaughan's disappearance? This is going to be a multi-day event as we recover from very significant and widespread damage to power lines, Kentuckys governor said. Give. At a press conference on Dec. 1, Fruitland Police Chief JD Huff said investigators believed Sarah Wondras husband, Stacey Wondra, also had knowledge about Vaughans death and said they were confident additional charges in the case would be forthcoming. This group is run and managed by locals in our town. KTVB went to Morreale's home in Kuna to speak to her further, but she did not answer her door. Multiple agencies were spotted at the scene this weekend, including Idaho State Police, Fruitland Police, Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue, Fruitland Public Works and the Fruitland Fire Department. She says Arya, known as "Buggy", will pull the pictures off the table and speak to Michael, her older brother. But when Neal saw the chief of police walk in the door, she said her stomach sank. 2 min read. Michael's 6th birthday was June 24, 2022. The house is just four minutes from the field Michael vanished from near his home on Southwest Ninth Street. Dont forget about him, Neal said. Michael Vaughan has been missing since the evening of July 27, 2021. The Fruitland, Idaho child's 2021 disappearance garnered nationwide attention and support. That night and into the week ahead, searches ensued. Unexpectedly, police announced the identities of two more people thought to have firsthand knowledge in the abduction of Vaughan Brandon Shurtliff, 30, believed to be somewhere in North Dakota; and Adrien Lucienne, 32, believed to be somewhere in Toledo, Ohio, or California. Huff let out a breath when he approached his podium on Dec. 1, 2022, for a press conference to announce the results of the excavation of the Wondra's backyard. Police said in the December press conference they had searched a home in Kuna without a warrant, but did not elaborate. PAYETTE, Idaho The case against Sarah Wondra, the woman accused of failing to report the death of missing Fruitland boy Michael Vaughan, remains on pause as court officials await an update on her mental competency. Huff alleged Monday to KTVB. 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. Neal sped home and she saw police at the park when she pulled into the neighborhood. The Police Chief tells us Officers continue to work through leads, though those leads have slowed a bit. There isn't a second that goes by without Neal thinking of her son. Authorities have been searching for Michael since he vanished. Every minute counts, she said, and missing children cases need to be taken seriously. It was originally believed that Michael wandered off -- but in November 2021,Fruitland Police Chief J.D. CBS2 is in contact with Fruitland police on a weekly basis on this case. KTVB reached out to Lucienne and Shurtliff but never received a response. Search the complete digital archives for all papers in the Pioneer News Group. BBC's 1million star Zoe Ball, 52, lands big new payday for Abba show on ITV. Then, Winston and I cover the case of Tanya van Cuylenborg and Jay Cook - a previously unsolved case, recently solved and brought to trial using genetic genealogy DNA testing. Please be praying for my baby that she feels much better. Neal just wants to hear Michael say, I love you, mama one more time. 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Shurtliff has a warrant for his arrest in Canyon County, but the charges do not allow for extradition from North Dakota. Arrest Record Search "This is arduous work," Huff said, according to KMTV. Neal talks as she plays with her bracelets nervously, which have Michaels name printed on them. I gave them food and water, prayed with them and allowed them to run their dogs and people through my house and yard. Michael Vaughan went missing from his front yard in Fruitland on July 27, 2021. Matthias says she spoke with Brandi earlier Sunday. "It has to be torture," she said. They did go over to the Neal home, to Brandis home, and told them yesterday morning This is happening. Michael was last seen wearing a blue Minecraft t-shirt, dark blue briefs, and blue flip-flops. Hes out there somewhere and we need him home. Police in southwestern Idaho have arrested a woman in connection with the disappearance of a 5-year-old boy who went missing more than a year ago. His nickname is "monkey" and he has blonde hair and blue eyes. Everyone has embraced this family, Hartmann said. Known to his family as 'Monkey,' Michael has blond hair and blue eyes, was last seen wearing a 'Minecraft' T-shirt with boxer briefs and blue flips flops. Neal keeps Michael's bed the same. "RT @Znews_US: It's #IdahoDay2023. Our attorney will probably be calling a press conference for all this slander.. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. Brandi Neal, Michaels mother, described Fruitland, a rural farmland city, as a quiet, friendly and safe place. She is charged with failing or delaying notification of a death, a felony. Lauren Matthias, host of Hidden: A True Crime Podcast and a spokesperson for the Vaughan family, appeared on NewsNation Prime to speak about the latest developments in the case. East Palestine, Ohio, residents say theyre grateful for the help, but they still want more to be done by federal officials. It's been over 500 days, she said, since her family has seen Michael. She says one of them has been behind bars since around May and the other was taken into custody on Friday. Police showed the family a timeline of Michaels disappearance, which Neal said she couldnt even believe they were able to put together. Police showed the family a timeline of Michael's disappearance, which Neal said she "couldn't even believe" they were able to put together. unread, unused book in perfect condition with no missing or damaged pages. A scuffed copy of the Koran. Investigators say that on the day Michael went missing, he was last seen between the hours of 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. near his home. Vaughan went to check on Michael's little sister, Arya -- who they call "Buggy" -- in her bedroom. Five-year-old Michael Joseph Vaughan was an average kid. Gunshot detection tech deployed across US, but is it helping? We have to wait, and wait, and wait -- and still take care of our family.". Last year, Brandi Neal, Michael's mom, thanked 'beautiful soul' who offered the reward money. But the grief and the struggle of missing Michael, mixed with her anger and frustration, intertwined with having to be a wife and a mother, can be too much. Huff speaks to members of the media during a press conference involving missing 5-year-old Michael Vaughan on Wednesday, Aug. 24. Huff said during a press conference that there was an increased probability Michael was abducted, because police made little headway in ground searches. It has to be torture, she said. Neal expected it was like any other visit the police pay the family, to check in with them. Published: 21:33 GMT, 13 November 2022 | Updated: 21:33 GMT, 13 November 2022. Though not as complicated as traveling with marijuana can be, its worth noting that flying with an electronic cigarette or vaping device isnt exactly easy. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. The untrained human may not know, or recognize, when a dog alerts its handler., They came back with 17 cars, dogs and shovels, and dug where the dog alluded to the following day. Fruitland Police Chief JD Huff said officers received a 'credible tip' that led them to dig up the yard on Redwing Street in Fruitland this weekend. FRUITLAND Brandi Neal, the mother of missing Fruitand boy Michael Vaughan, sat in her living room on a cold January day wiping tears from her face. Neal sped home and she saw police at the park when she pulled into the neighborhood. Huff then made a point of saying that the couple who lives in the house does not own it and, as far as he knows, has no connection to the Vaughan family. Neal stated police also have some of his favorite clothes and his favorite blanket. On that day in January, when Neal sat before the cameras, she sat next to Michaels monster trucks, his pictures and his stuffed animals. Police believe he's in danger. He previously told KTVB that his entire team is extremely emotionally invested in the case. The boy's family has pleaded for his safe return and has cooperated with authorities who have. Where is Shurtliff? It came on a brisk day, in mid-November of last year a break in the case. She takes care of her family. Neal keeps Michaels bed the same. Woman Vanished in 2007 and Her Body Still Hasn't Been Found But Ex Was Just Charged with Murder, Remains Found amid Search for Missing Okla. Right after the family took polygraphs, a large semi-truck was revealed with Michael's face on it to drive across the U.S. to create more tips to his potential whereabouts. Attorneys for the former president argued that [], Teen hikers rescued after days stuck in California snowstorm, Multiple dead after severe weather hits Southern states. She says investigators are being very slow and methodical with their investigation. It has been more than 500 days since Michael Vaughan went missing from his Fruitland home. Authorities are searching the backyard of an Idaho home in connection to the disappearance of a five-year-old boy who has been missing for more than a year. "She's not feeling good at all. 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. Michael Vaughan's Disappearance Michael, who is nicknamed "Monkey," was last seen at around 6:30 p.m. on July 27, 2021. Multiple law enforcement agencies surrounded the home at 1102 Redwing Street with shovels, human remains dogs, and heavy machinery that was digging in the dirt behind the home. They did find my toilet was leaking, which Im grateful for, Morreale said. Fruitland police Chief JD Huff said the person they arrested, Sarah Wondra, is a resident at the home they are digging at. 5-year-old Michael Vaughan was last seen in July 2021 in Fruitland. Huff continually told the press there was not much he could say -- it's still an open investigation, he said, and releasing additional information could compromise the case and justice for Michael. Its really something to see. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Fruitland Chief of Police, J.D Huff, maintains that the department's interests are solely to find justice for Michael. Fruitland Police have briefings every day where they talk about Michael and the next steps, Huff said. Police said to stay inside the home, she said, and "hunker down.". In November, investigators dug up the backyard of a home in Fruitland and arrested Sarah Wondra for failure to report the death of Michael Vaughan. The police chief told KTVB thattheir intent is to dig three or four feet deep and that they will not stop until the entire backyard is excavated. Following the search, authorities remained adamant they believed Wondra had knowledge of Vaughan's disappearance and death and even named three other individuals they believe knew what happened to the Fruitland boy. Michael Vaughan was last seen on July 27, 2021, near his home in Fruitland, Idaho. "He has wandered a few times, but it doesn't make sense," Neal said. We need a place to discuss possible places to search, talk ideas. Days went by, and then crews stopped excavating. Vaughan called Neal, who was at work. Hes out there somewhere and we need him home. ", Neal opens a gift, revealing a small stuffed animal named "Kiwi. Since then, authorities have been looking for Vaughan, who was reportedly 50 pounds and stood 43 inches tall. But on the evening of July 27, 2021, the quiet corner of the world turned frantic when Brandis 5-year-old son, Michael Vaughan, walked out of the house and down the street. Hes loves kids, animals, the elderly. He went missing from his neighborhood in Fruitland, near Southwest 9th Street, on July 27, 2021. Toxic trauma expert Gabor Mate diagnoses Prince Harry with attention deficit disorder but tells him it CAN 'I felt different to the rest of my family - and my mum felt the same': Prince Harry opens up on his 'broken Hollywood's love affair with the new non-binary Brit Pack: After MeToo sex scandals, Tinseltown is desperate Five unexpected signs in your 20s and 30s you're at risk of developing heart disease later in life. Michael Vaughan, a five-year-old from Idaho, went missing in the summer of 2021. Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. Following the search, authorities remained adamant they believed Wondra had knowledge of Vaughans disappearance and death and even named three other individuals they believe knew what happened to the Fruitland boy. These communities band together. Huff said in a statement . The child, Michael Joseph Vaughan, of Fruitland, is 43 inches tall, 50 pounds, has blue eyes and blonde hair and answers to the nickname "Monkey," according to a news release from Fruitland Police Chief JD Huff early Monday morning.