A 5-year-old Idaho boy who vanished without a trace last July remains missing, as the Fruitland Police Department continues its “exhaustive, labor intensive” work to find him.
Michael Joseph Vaughan was last seen on July 27, 2021, on foot and near an open field near his home, as CrimeOnline previously reported.
A reward for information leading to the missing boy has reached $52,860, Fruitland Police said.
“The search for Michael has taken on several phases and after multiple ground searches in and around the area and across the State of Idaho, as we have said,” police said in a Facebook post in March.
“There is a high probability of an abduction,” police said, adding that kidnapping “became our primary focus several months ago.”
Investigators say that one vehicle seen in surveillance footage near where the boy disappeared has still not been identified — a white Honda Pilot — although they believe they getting close to identifying its owner.
Police added that since the investigation has become a criminal one, they’re limited in what information they can share. But they said they’d received nearly 850 tips, most of which have been cleared.
They added that they don’t plan any more ground searches in the area since previous searches have covered the region thoroughly.
Michael was last seen wearing a “Minecraft” T-shirt, boxer briefs, and blue flips flops. He is described as 3 feet 7 inches tall and 50 pounds with blond hair and blue eyes.
Tips can be sent to findmichael@fruitland.org or to Crime Stoppers, 343COPS.com. Tips may remain anonymous.
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[Featured image: Michael Vaughan/Fruitland Police Department]
