Elijah Vue, 3, was reported missing from Two Rivers Feb. 20, 2024. (Photo source: Two Rivers Police Dept.)
TWO RIVERS, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Katrina Baur and Jesse Vang made their first court appearances Friday on new charges they were involved in the death of Baur’s son, 3-year-old Elijah Vue.
Vang is now charged with physical abuse of a child – repeated acts causing death, hiding a corpse and resisting or obstructing an officer. Baur is now charged with chronic neglect of a child – consequence is death, neglecting a child and resisting or obstructing an officer.
Manitowoc County court commissioner Patricia Koppa set a $500,000 cash bond for Vang on the new charges, and a $400,000 cash bond for Baur.
Click here for the full criminal complaint.
Prosecutors say Baur sent her son to live with Vang — her boyfriend — at his Two Rivers apartment for “disciplinary reasons.” Vang reported the 3-year-old boy missing on Feb. 20. Months later, on Sept. 7, a man preparing his land for hunting season found human remains on private property near the entrance of Camp Manitou, a Girl Scout camp.
The doctors who examined the boy’s remains determined the toddler suffered from physical abuse, psychological and emotional maltreatment, as well as neglect. Doctors also found healed fractures on Vue’s skull and face.
The criminal complaint outlined conversations Katrina Baur had with Jesse Vang just one minute after Vang called 911 to report the boy missing.
In a message, that was deleted, but recovered by investigators, Baur said:
Say you guys were taking a nap and he left.
Minutes later, Baur messaged Vang again, saying:
Jesse, listen the way you word things is very important. I need you to call me.
The criminal complaint also lists video evidence investigators reviewed.
Included in that evidence is footage of Jesse Vang driving the Nissan Altima investigators had asked the public to help track in the days before Vue was reported missing.
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