Idaho woman once arrested in case of missing boy will be in prison on different charges

An Idaho woman arrested last year when she was accused of being involved in the case of Michael Vaughan, a Fruitland boy who went missing over two years ago, will spend at least three years in prison on crimes stemming from a separate incident.

Sarah Wondra, 35, of Fruitland, pleaded guilty in August to two felonies: aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and destruction, alteration or concealment of evidence. A charge of possession of a controlled substance was dismissed as part of a plea deal, according to online court records.

She was sentenced Friday in Payette County by District Judge Kiley Stuchlik to three years fixed in prison, followed by two years indeterminate, meaning she could be eligible for parole after serving three years.

Payette County Prosecutor Mike Duke did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the sentencing from the Idaho Statesman.

The felony charges are related to an incident that occurred on April 13, 2022. According to court documents, Wondra pointed a gun at a guest who was staying with her and then brought the gun to her parents’ home, later admitting that she “knew she was not supposed to be in possession of a firearm.”

When police responded to a 911 call about the incident, they found that she unlawfully possessed “acetaminophen/hydrocodone,” commonly sold under the brand name Vicodin, the Statesman previously reported.

Wondra was arrested in November last year and eventually charged with failure to report a death in the Vaughan case. Police excavated the backyard of the home she shared with her husband, roughly half a mile from the Vaughan family home. Authorities have said they believe the missing boy was buried there at one point and later moved.

That lone charge connecting Wondra to the case was dismissed in August.

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