BOISE, Idaho (NewsNation Now) — The family of a missing Idaho boy is pleading for help in the search for their son.
Michael Vaughan, 5, hasn’t been seen since leaving his home in July. He walked through his neighborhood in Fruitland, Idaho in search of playmates.
Those closest to him, and the case, call him Monkey — a nickname he earned for having nonstop energy, according to his mother.
At the time of his disappearance, Vaughan’s mother was at work and his father was checking on another child in the home.
Vaughan’s mother, Brandi Neal, is desperate to find her son, especially now that the temperature is dropping and winter is approaching.
“[Vaughan] would have come out the garage,” she said. “The front door is pretty hard to get out of and you can hear that opening.”
Neal said she’s been having a more difficult time ever since the leaves started changing color.
“I lost my mind. I can’t,” she said.
It’s a difficult case with few leads and little evidence. Officials have combed thousands of acres of surrounding farmland with no luck.
Local law enforcement officials declined to speak with NewsNation on camera, but according to news conferences they’ve held, there is a probability that Vaughan was abducted.
Police said they are still working on legitimate leads.
Neal believes Vaughan and the family were being watched by someone and also thinks her son is alive.
Watch Markie Martin’s full report on Vaughan’s disappearance Wednesday, Dec. 8 on NewsNation at 9/8C.