Elijah Vue: What we know about the three-year-old’s disappearance

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An Amber Alert went out within the Wisconsin city of Two Rivers warning that somewhat boy had gone lacking and police wanted the neighborhood’s assist.

A month on from the 20 February alert, the city continues to be trying to find Elijah Vue, whereas his mom and her boyfriend are in jail, dealing with little one neglect expenses.

Right here’s all the things we all know to date in regards to the case:

What occurred to Elijah Vue?

Three-year-old Elijah Vue was final seen at round 8am on 20 February on the 3900 block of Michicot Street in Two Rivers, a city on the shore of Lake Michigan in Wisconsin.

Two Rivers Police Division mentioned they obtained a name at 10.59am from “the grownup caregiver”, who later turned out to be his mom’s accomplice Jesse Vang, reporting the boy as lacking.

Elijah, from Wisconsin Dells round 150 miles away, had been despatched by his mom Katrina Baur to stick with Mr Vang “for disciplinary causes”, Two Rivers authorities mentioned.

In court docket paperwork seen by NBC 26, police mentioned that Ms Baur instructed them she had despatched her son to Mr Vang so he may train the boy easy methods to be a person.

Mr Vang allegedly used “ways” together with time-outs the place Elijah needed to rise up for one to a few hours, or was compelled to take chilly showers.

On 20 March, new particulars emerged of messages between Mr Vang and Ms Baur within the days main as much as Elijah’s disappearance.

“I instructed you to belief me… I’m a be certain he hates me and being right here,”  Mr Vang instructed the mom on 18 February. She responded: “Don’t need him to *hate* YOU. Simply concern you.”

Nonetheless, Mr Vang instructed Ms Baur to not fear and that typically somebody must be “the unhealthy individual”.

“I do know however both manner he can concern you and respect you,” Ms Baur replied, with Mr Vang responding that Elijah did concern him, “however he didn’t respect me..now I’m making him respect me.”

The grievance additionally reveals that just a few days earlier than, on 13 and 14 February, Ms Baur had visited the Two Rivers house and took a photograph of Elijah with a blindfold over his eyes and bruising on his face as he lay on a mattress.

At this level, she had left a six-year-old lady, believed to be her daughter, outdoors in a chilly automotive.

One other photograph, taken on 15 February, confirmed the boy standing in a nook in his apparently full diaper and nothing else, together with his palms in a praying place.

A number of days later, Mr Vang reported Elijah lacking.

On the time of his disappearance, Elijah was mentioned to be carrying gray pants, a dark-coloured long-sleeve shirt and red-and-green dinosaur slip-on sneakers.

Investigators urged the general public to be looking out for the little boy who’s described as being of Hmong and white ethnicity, about three ft tall and having brown hair and brown eyes. He has a birthmark on his left knee.

Elijah Vue’s mom and boyfriend arrested

Someday after Elijah’s disappearance, his mom Katrina Baur, 31, was arrested and charged with party-to-a-crime little one neglect.

She reportedly modified her story on her whereabouts not less than twice whereas being interviewed by investigators and was then hit with two additional expenses of obstruction on Monday 26 February.

On 7 March, Ms Baur appeared in court docket the place her attraction to have her $15,000 bond revoked was denied by the decide after her personal mom instructed the court docket that her daughter shouldn’t be allowed to go free.

“I don’t really feel it’s definitely worth the danger to decrease her bond, particularly as [Elijah] has not been discovered and lots of questions stay unanswered,” the assertion, learn by District Lawyer Jacalyn LaBre, mentioned.

The DA introduced up to date expenses on the listening to, changing the unique little one neglect cost to persistent little one neglect and including one other little one neglect cost referring to a six-year-old lady on 14 February.

Jesse Vang, 39, was arrested just a few hours after Elijah disappeared and was charged with little one neglect. He reportedly has a historical past of different legal offences, together with little one abuse and is being held on a $20,000 bond.

The pair have to date appeared in court docket 3 times: on 23 and 26 February, after which on 7 March.

The preliminary listening to happened on 14 March in Manitowoc County Courtroom. A decide dominated that Ms Baur will go to trial. Mr Vang requested a speedy trial and a court-appointed legal professional.

Ms Baur’s arraignment is now set for 22 March.

Native stories recommend that Elijah’s father has additionally been in jail for a while.

The Vue household, who mentioned that they had not had contact with the boy since he was a child, have been closely concerned within the search efforts for him.

The seek for Elijah Vue

A number of legislation enforcement businesses together with the Two Rivers Police Division, the FBI, the Wisconsin Division of Legal Investigations, the Manitowoc Police Division, the Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Workplace and the Sheboygan County Sheriff’s Workplace are concerned within the seek for the little boy.

Thus far, dive groups have combed by close by waterways and investigators have searched a landfill web site in Two Rivers.

Two Rivers Police Division Chief Ben Meinnert mentioned on Tuesday 27 February that his officers have been persevering with to observe up on each lead of their try and carry Elijah house safely. He wouldn’t touch upon particular case particulars, together with whether or not the division was treating this as an abduction.

Numerous native volunteers – together with Elijah’s relations – have additionally joined within the search.

On Tuesday 27 February, considered one of Elijah’s relations instructed reporters that the household was “burdened” by an unimaginable state of affairs.

“The ache is indescribable,” she mentioned. “We can not categorical our sorrow or the desperation that consumes us.

“To anybody with info on Elijah’s whereabouts, we plead with you to please come ahead.”

She mentioned each piece of knowledge would carry them one step nearer to bringing Elijah again to his household.

Cops and volunteers have been knocking door to door, looking native rivers and utilizing drones and canine as a part of the search.

“We’re all out right here for a similar motive, to search out that little boy,” native Maria Wright instructed ABC 2 Information.

“If you see everyone that we’re a staff. Your neighborhood is one massive staff. We’re going to maintain on and the search goes to go on and on till we discover this little boy.”

Locals have been requested to test wherever a small little one would possibly conceal, climb or fall, and to search for any gadgets on their property which don’t belong to them, reminiscent of Elijah’s blanket or sneakers.

Elijah’s blanket discovered

One of many key gadgets police requested locals to look out for when Elijah disappeared was his red-and-white plaid blanket.

One Monday 18 March, TRPD introduced that officers had discovered the little boy’s blanket on Goodwin Street, east of County Street B in Manitowoc County earlier within the investigation.

“At this time we will affirm the blanket is Elijah’s blanket,” Chief Ben Meinnert mentioned on Fb.

“This blanket was situated 3.7 miles from the 3900 block of Mishicot Street within the Metropolis of Two Rivers, the place Elijah was reported lacking on February twentieth, 2024.”

Legislation enforcement pleas for assist in discovering Elijah

In an replace on Tuesday 27 February, the FBI mentioned it was providing a $15,000 reward for info which leads them to Elijah.

As of Tuesday 5 March, Manitowoc County Crime Stoppers is now providing $10,000 for a similar info or results in the arrest of these liable for his disappearance. That was a rise from the unique $1,000 proposed by the organisation.

Two Rivers Police Chief Ben Meinnert mentioned in a Fb replace on Saturday 24 February that “finding Elijah and reuniting him together with his household continues to be our high precedence”, one thing he has repeated in a number of updates on the search.

The police division has additionally wanted to concern a number of warnings about scams associated to Elijah’s disappearance, together with a video showing to point out police discovering the boy.

This was faux, Chief Meinnert mentioned at the beginning of March.

“Once more, watch out for scams searching for your cash and private info, but in addition these now trying to benefit from this unlucky incident,” the chief added, referring to stories of residents being referred to as by scammers asking for cash to assist with the search.

Pictures launched of automotive related to Elijah’s disappearance

Because the seek for Elijah Vue entered its third week in Wisconsin, police have been asking for assist in piecing collectively the actions of a automotive the day earlier than the three-year-old vanished.

Two Rivers Police Division shared images of the beige 1997 Nissan Altima on Monday 4 March, saying legislation enforcement was in possession of the automobile.

“We’re requesting householders and companies to overview their surveillance digital camera footage captured on February 19, 2024 between the hours of two:00 PM – 9:00 PM,” the division mentioned on Fb.

“As a result of period of the hours requested to be reviewed, we’re asking the general public past the better Two Rivers space and adjoining counties to overview their movies as effectively.”

It was not instantly clear who the automotive could have belonged to, with the division solely sharing that the registration plate began with “A” and ended with “0”.

Locals raised considerations about their capability to assist when many doorbell cameras solely retailer knowledge going again 5 days.

Anybody with info on the case can name 844-267-6648 or submit info through the native Crime Stoppers app P3.