Elijah Vue death investigation: mother, boyfriend criminally charged
Elijah Vue death: criminal charges filed
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, Katrina Baur (Vue's mother), and Jesse Vang (Baur's boyfriend), have been criminally charged in the death of Elijah Vue.
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 Elijah 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.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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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.
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.
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.
"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 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.
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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.
"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."
Vue went missing from his Two Rivers home on Feb. 20. Vue’s mother, Katrina Baur and her boyfriend, Jesse Vang, are still in jail – both criminally charged with child neglect, though not directly linked to the boy's disappearance and death as of now.