Human remains found in a Wisconsin town last weekend have been identified as those of 3-year-old Elijah Vue, who disappeared more than six months ago.
A skull and bones were discovered on private property by a deer hunter preparing his land for hunting season in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, on Saturday, police said.
“It is with a heavy heart that I announce today that these remains have been identified as those of Elijah Vue,” Two Rivers Police Chief Benjamin Meinnert said at a news briefing Friday.
The location where the remains were found was just over 3 miles northwest of where Elijah was initially reported missing.
Law enforcement, the landowner and air and rescue teams have searched the property multiple times, authorities said. Another search of the property is expected to begin as early as next week, Meinnert said, while asking the public to stay away from the property in the future.
“What began as a search for a missing boy is now a death investigation,” he said. “While we understand your desire for information, we cannot share every detail and we must maintain the integrity of the investigation. We know the family and community have many questions. This is a process that will take a long time and we will do everything we can in this investigation to answer those questions.”
Friday’s briefing marks the first major update on the case since mid-March, when a blanket belonging to the toddler was found about 3.7 miles from where he was last seen.
Here’s what you need to know about this case:
When did Elijah Vue disappear?
Elijah was last seen in late February, when the 3-year-old disappeared from an apartment where he was staying with his mother’s boyfriend, Jesse Vang.
The day Elijah disappeared, Vang called police and reported the boy missing, telling officers he had taken a nap and brought the 3-year-old into the bedroom with him. But when he woke up about three hours later, the boy was gone, according to court documents.
What happened in the days leading up to Elijah’s disappearance?
Elijah’s mother, Katrina Baur, told police she left her 3-year-old with Vang on Feb. 12 because she wanted him to teach her son “how to be a man,” and that she planned to pick him up on Feb. 23, according to a criminal complaint.
Prosecutors told the court they had evidence Baur left the 3-year-old unattended for at least an hour on Feb. 16 while she and Vang drove to other locations in Manitowoc, WLUK-TV reported. They also said they had evidence Baur left a 6-year-old unattended in a vehicle on Feb. 14 for about an hour in subfreezing temperatures, without the vehicle starting.
Charges brought in the case
Baur, 31, of Wisconsin Dells, was initially charged with one felony count of child neglect as an accessory to a felony and two misdemeanor counts of resisting or obstructing an officer. Manitowoc County prosecutors later amended the charge to one felony count of chronic child neglect as an accessory to a felony and also filed misdemeanor charges against Baur for child neglect.
Vang, 39, of Two Rivers, was formally charged in February with one count of child neglect as an accessory to a crime.
At her hearing, Baur’s attorney, Ann Larson, told the court that “the emotions are very high, but so is Mrs. Baur. She is very concerned about not knowing where her son is.”
No charges have been filed in connection with Elijah’s disappearance.
