Three-year-old boy was being taught how to 'be a man' by mom's boyfriend in days leading up to his disappearance
Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse which some readers may find distressing.
After the remains of three-year-old Elijah Vue were found by a hunter on his property, the mystery remains as to what happened to cause his death.
On September 13 police revealed that skeletal remains found in Two Rivers positively matched the DNA of the little boy who was reported missing in February this year.
But it’s unclear as to how he ended up there.
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Initially, Elijah was reported missing on February 20 by his mother’s boyfriend, Jesse Vang, who claimed that the toddler disappeared after the two took a nap in his room.
However, as per the criminal complaint obtained by People, Elijah's mom had allegedly been leaving the tot at Vang’s home to 'teach' him 'by example how to be a man'.
Earlier this year, when Elijah had only been missing for a few weeks, Vang, 39, appeared in court following a charge of chronic child neglect.
According to detectives, who first responded to the Two Rivers property Vang lived in after the toddler had been reported missing, Vang did not allow toys to be played with.
Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office Detective Michael Herrmann told the court: “There was one toy in the residence which was given to the child at Christmas time.
“However, during this stay, because it was a punishment, he was not allowed to play with that toy.”
At the time, Elijah had been staying with Vang for eight days, having been dropped off by his mom, Katrina Baur, 31 to ‘learn to be a man’.
Vang allegedly explained the tactics he used on Elijah to teach him the ropes, which included making him stand for hours at a time while he prayed or apologized to his mother for his behavior, it's reported that he was also subjected to filthy diapers, which were changed ‘at least one time per day’.
According to the complaint, Baur also told detectives that she and Vang had ‘discussed with him the limits of what discipline she did not want used’ but he was ‘the enforcer of rules in the relationship’.
Detective Herrmann and Lieutenant Jacob Glaser from the Two Rivers Police Department described what Elijah was put through.
Herrman shared: “Mr Vang advised that the child was still bottle fed.
“He was attempting to get the child to move to more solid or adult-style food during the time he was with him.”
When the DA asked if food was withheld from the child, Herrman said that milk was allegedly withheld.
Messages also showed Baur and Vang discussing Elijah, as well as showing photos in which Elijah appeared to be bruised.
Lt Glaser said: “The photograph depicts [Elijah] wearing what is believed to be a black blindfold and appears to have bruising to his cheek, neck and arm area.”
The officer confirmed that the image had been taken in the early hours of February 14, just two days after Baur taken him over to Vang's.
The court was also told about Elijah allegedly being threatened with cold water, particularly when Vang mentioned to Baur in a text exchange three days before he went missing.
The lieutenant said: “I recall him stating that he had given [Elijah] a cold shower and that he appeared to be scared afterwards.”
Two days before the tot went missing, Vang text Elijah’s mom that he ‘didn’t respect me... now I’m making him respect me’.
A summary of the texts between the two claimed that Elijah had been doused with cold water, and at the time he was ‘clean but scared’.
Vang went on to explain to detectives that he ‘is afraid of him, as per the complaint, then corrected himself,’ and instead used the words ‘respects me’.
Vang was later charged with felony chronic neglect of a child and Baur was charged with felony chronic neglect of a child, two counts of resisting or obstructing an officer, and one count of neglecting a child.
The case is ongoing.
UNILAD contacted the Two Rivers authorities for comment.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, the Childhelp USA National Child Abuse Hotline (1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453) operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and receives calls from throughout the United States, Canada, US Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico.
Britt Jones