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Hidden True Crime

MISSING: 5-year-old Michael "Monkey" Vaughan's Christmas Miracle (Interview with Brandi Neal, His Mother)

Hidden True Crime

Hidden True Crime

Documentary, News, True Crime, News Commentary, Society & Culture

4.62.5K Ratings

🗓️ 24 December 2022

⏱️ 63 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

On December 23rd, 2022, Hidden's Lauren Matthias and the Neal/Vaughan family hosted Monkey's Christmas Miracle, where gifts and treats were donated from the community and Hidden's listeners, the Hidden Gems. Over 400 presents were donated to the Fruitland and Payette, Idaho community! (Photos on our social media sites...) Five-year-old Michael "Monkey" Vaughan has been missing since July 27, 2021, from Fruitland, Idaho. Lauren speaks with his mother Brandi to learn more about the case, how the public can help, raise awareness, and perhaps identify the owner of a vehicle that police are trying to track down. This Facebook page is mentioned during the interview. Please join for more information, posters, and photos to help spread the word about Michael's disappearance: https://www.facebook.com/groups/52452... TIPS: Fruitland Police Department: 208-642-6006 LAUREN MATTHIAS has worked as an anchor and reporter for ABC, NBC, and FOX News in East Idaho, Boise, Idaho and Salt Lake City, Utah. She spent a decade reporting on a diverse range of topics from high profile crimes to Presidential visits. In 2015 she received the Idaho State Broadcaster’s Association Best Reporter award for a short documentary on LGBTQ rights. She recently left the reporting world to produce and edit, Hidden: A True Crime Podcast along with her husband Dr. John Matthias, a forensic psychologist. HIDDEN: A TRUE CRIME PODCAST is: CRIMINAL PSYCHOLOGY REINVENTED. Join us on a journey into the darkest recesses of the human mind and the unconscious motivations that drive human behaviors in order to understand the world and ourselves. Pull up a chair at our dinner table as a forensic psychologist and a journalist, who are husband and wife, delve into the psychological facets of unthinkable crimes. WEBSITE: https://hiddentruecrime.com/ Apple podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/hiddentruecr... YouTube Channel: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCBp03t... We appreciate help from our listeners. Your support help us produce these podcasts. We have some big plans to explore the true crime terrain in a way that no one else has attempted. TO SUPPORT: https://www.patreon.com/hiddentruecrime or https://paypal.me/hiddentruecrime Let's see how far we can go together to reinvent the true crime genre! THANK YOU Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Our Sponsors:* Check out Acorns: https://acorns.com/HIDDENTRUECRIME* Check out Acorns: https://acorns.com/HIDDENTRUECRIME* Check out Armoire and use my code HIDDENTRUECRIME for a great deal: https://www.armoire.style* Check out Effecty and use my code HIDDENTRUECRIME for a great deal: https://www.effecty.com* Check out Happy Mammoth and use my code HIDDENTRUECRIME for a great deal: https://happymammoth.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/hidden-a-true-crime-podcast1836/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

This interview with 5-year-old Michael Vaughn's mother, Brandi Neal, took place a year

0:08.8

ago, December 2021.

0:11.7

Today Michael, also known as Monkey, is still missing.

0:15.8

Frutland police say they have four suspects that they believe are responsible for Michael's

0:21.0

disappearance, and a yard nearby Michael's house was searched, police say they are looking

0:26.4

for Michael's remains, and they don't believe he is alive.

0:30.1

The suspects are strangers to the Neal Vaughn family, and at this time, no charges have

0:35.4

been brought forward in the kidnapping of Michael Vaughn.

0:39.3

As the family continues to wait for answers, this holiday season Michael's family requested

0:44.6

one thing, Michael loved giving gifts, and they wanted to give the children in Michael's

0:51.0

community gifts from Monkey.

0:53.6

On Friday, Hidden True Crime was in Frutland Idaho, and with the help of our Hidden Gems,

0:58.7

this incredible Hidden True Crime community, over 400 gifts were handed out in Michael's

1:04.1

name to needy children in Frutland.

1:06.5

If you want to share in Monkey's Miracle Project, head to our YouTube channel Hidden True

1:11.9

Crime.

1:12.9

We begin this interview with a song sung by Michael's grandfather.

1:43.9

Where he shouldn't be.

1:47.1

Your mother?

1:48.1

A four?

1:49.1

Yes.

1:50.1

A four.

...

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