The Two Rivers Police Department has confirmed that the human skeletal remains discovered last week belong to 3-year-old Elijah Vue. An Amber Alert that was issued following the boy’s disappearance in February has now been canceled.
The remains were found by a deer hunter in a wooded area of Two Rivers on September 7, near a privately owned site close to a quarry and Camp Manitou. The Wisconsin Crime Lab performed DNA testing on the remains, which included a skull and other bones, to verify Vue’s identity. Authorities stated that the family was notified as soon as the results were confirmed.
“The family’s devastated. We’re devastated. Our community is devastated,” stated 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.”
Assistant Police Chief Melissa Wiesner added, “Elijah was a little guy, but he left a huge impact on all of us, and he will not be forgotten.”
The site where Vue’s remains were located is just over three miles from his home, from which he disappeared on February 20. Meinnert noted that various teams had conducted multiple searches in the area around Manitou Drive.
Local resident Joseph Puta expressed his sorrow, saying, “It’s very sad, a young life. Definitely not the way I would’ve liked to have seen it end. Children are precious.”
Vue’s mother, Katrina Baur, and her boyfriend, Jesse Vang, remain in custody, facing charges of child neglect. However, as of now, they are not directly linked to the boy’s disappearance or death.
A death investigation is currently underway, and authorities are urging anyone with information about Vue’s death to contact the Two Rivers Police Department.