PAYETTE COUNTY, Idaho — KTVB learned new information on the woman originally charged in connection with the disappearance of Michael Vaughan. Sarah Wondra was sentenced to prison on October 6 and will serve between three and seven years in prison on two state charges that are unrelated to Vaughan's case.
Court records show Wondra pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and destruction, alteration or concealment of evidence. These crimes occurred in April of 2022. Wondra also faced a federal gun charge but that was dropped on Thursday because she was prosecuted for the state charges.
She remains in the Payette County Jail awaiting transfer to the Idaho Department of Correction.
As mentioned, authorities said these charges are not related to the Vaughan case.
Wondra was originally charged with failing to report a death in November 2022 in connection to Vaughan's disappearance, but that charge was dropped this spring.
She was originally arrested in November of 2022 after Fruitland Police said investigators determined she may have known about Vaughan's death and failed to report it. Investigators searched the Fruitland home she shared with her husband, Stacey, after receiving a tip that Vaughan's remains may be there. That home is in a nearby neighborhood from where Michael was last seen.
But the search turned up nothing.
Fruitland Police Chief J.D. Huff told KTVB he believes Vaughan's remains were buried there and were later removed.
Vaughan, who went missing in July of 2021, has yet to be found.
Wondra's husband Stacey was just sentenced to federal prison on Wednesday Nov. 1 after pleading guilty to a federal charge of "unlawful possession of a firearm." He will serve another four months on top of the 17 months he has already spent in custody. He will serve out that time in the Ada County Jail under the U.S. Marshals Service custody.
These charges are also unrelated to the Vaughan case.
Regarding Michael's disappearance, Fruitland PD announced in July of this year they submitted a case to the Payette County Prosecutor, along with a probable cause affidavit.
In a phone call on Friday, Fruitland PD Chief JD Huff told investigative reporter Morgan Romero that the case submitted to the prosecutor's office does involve the Wondras, as well as two other individuals police named in December 2022 who they believe have firsthand knowledge about the abduction of Michael: Brandon Shurtliff and Adrien Lucienne.
Calls and emails to the prosecutor's office Friday were not returned.
Huff said Friday their investigation into Michael's disappearance is ongoing and they are still actively working leads.
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