Elijah Vue death investigation: mother, boyfriend criminally charged
TWO RIVERS, Wis. - On Thursday, Oct. 17, the Two Rivers Police Department updated the public on the investigation into the death of 3-year-old Elijah Vue.
Two people, Jesse Vang and Katrina Baur, have been criminally charged in the death of Vue.
Vue’s mother, Katrina Baur, has been charged with Chronic Neglect of a Child - Consequence is Death, Child Neglect, and Obstructing an Officer.
Baur's boyfriend, Jesse Vang, has been charged with Physical Abuse of a Child, Repeated Acts - Causing Death, Hiding a Corpse, and Obstructing an Officer.
"This has been a complex investigation, involving meticulous review of hundreds of pages of police reports, video evidence and other materials," said Manitowoc County District Attorney Jacalyn LaBre. "The charges we have filed today reflect that diligent and thorough work."
During the press conference, the district attorney said a bail hearing is anticipated for Friday, Oct. 18, at 12:45 p.m. before the court commissioner in Manitowoc County.
New details
The medical examiner determined, after assessing the remains, the boy's cause of death was homicide by unspecified means.
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A different analysis found Vue had fractures in his face.
A criminal complaint says the night before Vue disappeared in February, Vang told investigators he was at home, watching a movie.
But investigators recovered surveillance video from that night, showing him dropping off a suitcase near St. Vincent de Paul and then driving off around Manitowoc County.
Detectives found DNA inside that suitcase and say it belonged to Vue.
Elijah Vue dead: Mother 'devastated,' attorney says in statement
The attorney representing the mother of Elijah Vue, the 3-year-old boy whose skeletal remains were found in Two Rivers, released a statement Wednesday.
Police say they recovered deleted Facebook messages Baur sent Vang on Feb. 20, telling him to "say you guys were taking a nap and he left" and adding "the way you word things is very important."
Original case details
Previously, on Sept. 13, 2024, the Two Rivers Police Department confirmed that the human skeletal remains found were those of Elijah Vue. An Amber Alert, issued after the 3-year-old went missing in February, had been canceled.
The Manitowoc County Sheriff's Office said a deer hunter found the remains in a wooded area of Two Rivers on Sept. 7. The discovery was made in a privately owned area near a quarry and Camp Manitou.
Katrina Baur and Jesse Vang in Manitowoc County Court (virtually) on Monday, Feb. 26.
The Wisconsin Crime Lab conducted DNA testing on the remains, which included a skull and bones, to confirm they were Vue's. Police said the family was notified as soon as the DNA testing confirmed the identity of the remains.
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"The family's devastated. We're devastated. Our community is devastated," said Two Rivers Police Chief Benjamin Meinnert. "I never met Elijah, but I watched that 3-year-old boy bring out the best in this community."
Elijah Vue dead: Two Rivers police confirm remains found
The Two Rivers Police Department confirmed that human skeletal remains found last week were those of Elijah Vue.
"Elijah was a little guy, but he left a huge impact on all of us, and he will not be forgotten," Two Rivers Assistant Police Chief Melissa Wiesner said.
Police said the location where Vue's remains were found is just over three miles from where he went missing. Meinnert said various teams had previously searched the area near Manitou Drive several times.
"It's very sad, a young life," said Two Rivers resident Joseph Puta. "Definitely not the way I would’ve liked to have seen it end. Children are precious."
Katrina Baur and Jesse Vang
Vue went missing from his Two Rivers home on Feb. 20.
Baur and Vang are still in jail. They are expected to appear in court on Friday, Oct. 18, for a bail hearing.