The Two Rivers Police Department has confirmed the identification of human skeletal remains found last week as belonging to 3-year-old Elijah Vue. An Amber Alert was initially issued when the boy went missing in February, but has since been canceled following this development.
The remains, discovered by a deer hunter in a wooded area of Two Rivers on September 7, were located in a privately owned lot near a quarry and Camp Manitou. The Wisconsin Crime Lab conducted DNA testing on the remains, which included a skull and other bones, establishing the identity of Vue. Authorities informed the family 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. He added, “I never met Elijah, but I watched that 3-year-old boy bring out the best in this community.”
Two Rivers Assistant Police Chief Melissa Wiesner echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the significant impact Elijah had despite his young age, saying, “Elijah was a little guy, but he left a huge impact on all of us, and he will not be forgotten.”
The site where the remains were found is located just over three miles from where Vue disappeared. Meinnert noted that various search teams had scoured the area around Manitou Drive multiple times prior to the discovery.
“It’s very sad, a young life,” said local resident Joseph Puta. “Definitely not the way I would’ve liked to have seen it end. Children are precious.”
Elijah went missing from his home on February 20. His mother, Katrina Baur, and her boyfriend, Jesse Vang, are currently in jail facing charges of child neglect, although they have not yet been linked directly to the circumstances surrounding the boy’s disappearance and death.
“I have grandkids that age, and I just don’t understand how people can do some of the things they do,” Puta remarked, expressing a hope that the justice system holds those responsible accountable.
A death investigation is currently underway, and authorities are urging anyone with information regarding Elijah Vue’s death to contact the Two Rivers Police Department.