Missing Child: Michael Vaughan

Five-year-old Michael Vaughan has now been missing from his home in Fruitland, Idaho for more than four months. Fruitland Police Chief J.D. Huff believes in the probability that the youngster was abducted because the agency has made no headway in ground searches. The police department, FBI, and other investigating agencies have searched thousands of acres and have come up empty over the last few months. They have utilized K-9s, helicopters, drones, boats, divers and foot searches and are following up on every lead.  

On the evening of July 27th, Michael was playing Nintendo in the family's living room, when his father, Tyler Vaughan went to check on his sister, Arya. He went to her bedroom, and ordered a pizza, which took him about 15-20 minutes. When he returned to the living room, his son, Michael was gone.

Tyler Vaughan called his wife, Brandi Neal at work frantic that he could not find their son. She immediately left work and sped home, where she was greeted with a driveway full of police vehicles and neighbors all outside their homes. Brandi Neal searched up and down the neighborhood streets, asking everyone if they had seen her son, while Tyler stayed at home talking to police.

During the initial search on the night of his disappearance, K-9 dogs were able to track Michael's scent from the home to the end of their  street, away from the farm field that is located to the right of the house, but suddenly stopped there. Neighbors witnessed Micheal knocking on doors moments before he disappeared. Neal believes that her son must have gone out of the garage side door which leads to the front yard, then wandered off.

"It's not about anybody else, it's about Michael," Neal has said. She rarely leaves her home anymore, and her oldest daughter, Kira didn't even want a birthday this year with him missing. The youngest, Arya has just begun playing with toys again, some of her favorites being Michael's monster trucks.

Michael Vaughan is described as  a young, energetic, blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy who loves camping, cars, monster trucks and playing in the dirt. On the day of his disappearance, the 5-year-old didn't want his mom to go to work. Neal has said that now sticks with her. 

 

Anyone with any information is urged to contact the Fruitland Police Department at 208-642-6006, extension 0 or contact the department through its tip line at findmichael@fruitland.org. A tip leading to Vaughan’s safe return will be rewarded with $50,100. The reward is available through March 2022.