Missing Wisconsin toddler Elijah Vue's blanket found as monthlong search continues
The search continues for Elijah Vue, a 3-year-old Wisconsin boy who went missing a month ago, with authorities confirming Monday that a personal item found early in the investigation does in fact belong to him.
Elijah’s red-and-white plaid blanket was found on a road a little over 3 miles from an apartment building in Two Rivers, a city in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, where he was last seen on Feb. 20, according to a social media post by local police.
Two Rivers police did not elaborate when the blanket was found, but a portion of that road was closed on Feb. 25 while they searched for the missing boy, according to reporting by the Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter, part of the USA TODAY Network.
“We continue to request the public’s assistance in checking all urban and rural areas, including water, to find Elijah and locate any evidence related to his disappearance,” the post says.
Here's what you need to know about the case.
Elijah's mother and her boyfriend have been charged
Elijah’s mother, Katerina Baur, 31, and her boyfriend, Jesse Vang, 39, have been charged in connection with felony child neglect, according to previous USA TODAY reporting.
Elijah was sent to stay with Vang in Two Rivers by his mother for "disciplinary purposes,” according to Manitowoc County District Attorney Jacalyn LaBre.
Baur lied to police when questioned, telling officers she was as staying at her home in Wisconsin Dells and not in Two Rivers when Elijah went missing.
"She intentionally sent that child for disciplinary reasons for more than a week to the residence,” LaBre said in a statement to the court. “She was aware of the tactics (Vang) used and the lack of care (he) provided,” USA TODAY reported.
It's unclear whether Vang or Baur have obtained attorneys.
Details about Elijah offered, thousands of dollars in reward money available
Elijah was last seen at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 20, at an apartment building in the 3900 block of Mishicot Road in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, according to the Herald Times Reporter.
There are no known family or associated in the area, Wisconsin’s AMBER Alert website states.
Anyone with information “ leading to the discovery of Elijah” is eligible to receive a $40,000 reward, which was raised by a number of local agencies, including the Manitowoc County Crime Stoppers, Two Rivers Police Department and the City of Two Rivers.
“10,000 from Manitowoc County Crime Stoppers for the arrest and charging of the individual/s responsible for his disappearance, $15,000 for information leading to the location and return of Elijah Vue and/or the arrest and conviction of the individual/s involved in his disappearance, and an additional $15,000 thanks to funds raised by donations set up through the City of Two Rivers,” the social media post reads.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the department by phone at 844-267-6648, through the Manitowoc County Crime Stoppers P3 App, or via email at [email protected].
Elijah Vue was last seen wearing gray sweat pants, a long-sleeved dark colored shirt and red and green dinosaur slip-on shoes. He is 3 feet tall and weighs about 45 pounds.
Elijah has sandy hair, brown eyes and birthmark on his left knee, according to the AMBER Alert website.
Alerts still active, daily searches continue as efforts last a month
A number of federal and local law enforcement agencies, including the Two Rivers Police Department, have searched for Elijah since the morning of Feb. 20, but haven’t had any luck so far.
They have canvassed urban and rural neighborhoods; searched rivers, shores and a landfill in a neighboring county; and K-9 teams have “checked and rechecked various areas,” according to the Herald Times Reporter.
The department said Friday that they had “followed up on numerous tips and leads and continued going through large amounts of video footage."
Volunteers across the county and state have also conducted searches for Elijah regularly, with another search scheduled for Tuesday morning.
The Wisconsin AMBER Alert, issued a couple hours after Elijah initially went missing, is still active. He is also still listed as missing on the Wisconsin Department of Justice’s Clearinghouse for Missing & Exploited Children & Adults, according to reporting by Herald Times Reporter.
Family, friends and community members held a vigil held for Elijah over the weekend, gathering together in the hope that Elijah is soon found.
They lit candles, blew bubbles and spoke of the community's resolve in searching for Elijah, according to the Herald Times Reporter.
“There is power in numbers. We live in a great community that cares so deeply about one another," Adam Wachowski, president of the Two Rivers City Council said at the vigil. "When someone is in need of help, you don’t just get someone to help. Instead, you get the whole community. That’s Two Rivers, that’s who we are, that’s what we represent and that’s our love for one another."
Elijah’s mother and boyfriend due back in court
Baur told officers she sent Elijah to Vang’s home in Two Rivers, which is located over 100 miles from Wisconsin Dells, so he could learn "how to be man,” according to a criminal complaint obtained by the Herald Times Reporter.
Elijah stayed with Vang over a week, dropped off by his mother on Feb. 12. He was supposed to be returned to Baur’s home in Wisconsin Dells by Feb. 23, USA TODAY reported.
The toddler was ordered by Vang to stand next to his bed and pray a few hours before he disappeared, according to the complaint.
Vang told police that he didn’t notice Elijah was gone until three hours later, calling 911 as soon as he noticed he was gone, USA TODAY reported. Vang remembered seeing Elijah the morning of the disappearance, telling the police he saw Elijah sleeping on a sofa in the living room.
Vang then woke Elijah up, made him cereal to eat, but did not change the boy's diaper, which occurred right before Vang made Elijah pray by his bed.
Vang also told police he would force Elijah stand up for two to three hours without sitting as a form of punishment, threatning the boy with cold water. Vang explained to officers how he was "correcting (Elijah's) bad behaviors," USA TODAY reported.
Both Baur and Vang are set to make appearances at Manitowoc County Circuit Court in the coming days, Baur for an arraignment and Vang for a preliminary hearing, according to the Herald Times Reporter.
Vang faces one charge of felony child neglect while Elijah’s mother faces a felony charge of chronic child neglect, a second charge of felony child neglect involving a different child, and two misdemeanor charges of obstructing an officer, Herald Times Reporter reported.
Contributing: Alisa M. Schafer; Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter and Jonathan Limehouse; USA TODAY