A hunter in northeastern Wisconsin discovered the skeletal remains of a 3-year-old boy who vanished in February, police confirmed Friday.
Elijah Vue was last seen at the home of his mother’s boyfriend in Two Rivers, a city of 11,270 people about 30 miles (48 kilometres) southeast of Green Bay, police said during an afternoon news conference.
A hunter preparing his property in the town of Two Rivers, a rural municipality that encircles the city, for deer season discovered the skeletal remains on Sept. 7, Two Rivers Police Chief Benjamin Meinnert said.
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A forensic anthropologist at the state crime lab identified them as Elijah.
“This is not the outcome that we hoped for,” Meinnert said. “The family is devastated. We are devastated. The community is devasted.”
Elijah’s mother, Katrina Baur, 31, of Wisconsin Dells, was charged in February with one felony count of being a party to child neglect and two misdemeanor counts of resisting or obstructing an officer.
She has pleaded not guilty. Her boyfriend, Jesse Vang, 39, of Two Rivers, was charged the same day with one felony count of being a party to child neglect. He also pleaded not guilty.
According to a criminal complaint, Bauer had left her son with Vang on Feb. 12 because she wanted Vang to teach him “to be a man.” Vang called police Feb. 20 and reported the boy missing, telling police he had taken a nap and brought the boy in the bedroom with him. When he woke up three hours later he was gone.
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The boy’s remains were found about 3 miles (4.8 kilometres) from where he was last seen, Meinnert said.
The chief said the investigation into what happened to Elijah will continue.
Baur’s attorney, Amber Gratz, didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment. The phone at the office of Vang’s attorney, Timothy Hogan, was malfunctioning Friday afternoon and no one immediately responded to an email left in the office’s general inbox.
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