The grandmother of missing Elijah Vue from Wisconsin said she doesn't know what went wrong with her daughter, who is still in jail while the search goes into its third month.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Elijah was last seen on February 20 at an apartment in the 3900 block of Mishicot Road in Two Rivers, in the care of his mother’s boyfriend, Jesse Vang.
Vang was subsequently arrested on child neglect charges. Elijah’s mother, Katrina Baur, was also arrested and charged with being a party to child neglect. Vang said Baur allowed Elijah to stay with him for several weeks, starting on February 12, for reported behavioral issues.
Baur’s mother, Jodi, spoke to Wisconsin’s ABC 12 and remembered her daughter’s problems with drugs and how they probably played a role in the boy’s disappearance.
“Watching your kid fall is the hardest thing in the world. You always want what’s best, but you can’t get it. It’s their life. So that’s hard,” Jodi said. “Her entire life revolved around those kids. I don’t know what broke. I don’t know what changed. I wish I could say that she relapsed. I don’t even know about that.”
Jodi said she remembered when police issued the AMBER Alert and how Baur didn’t seem surprised.
“She was calm. She was. I think the investigators had called me that night, said she was cold. Whether she was detached or in denial, I don’t know.”
Jodi added that the last time she spoke to her daughter, Baur said she thought Elijah walked out on his own, but it’s a theory that investigators don’t buy. However, Jodi thinks Baur would have “broke” by now if she knew where the child was.
A criminal complaint stated that Vang reported the child missing, claiming that he brought Elijah into a bedroom with him at around 8 a.m., and ordered him to stand next to the bed and pray. Vang claimed he fell asleep and when he woke up three hours later, the child was gone.
Investigators have gathered evidence near Vang’s apartment, including a shoe matching the description of what Elijah was wearing when he disappeared.
Meanwhile, the Two Rivers Department (TRPD) announced that the reward fund for information that leads to Elijah has reached $40,000, following additional funds raised by the department. This also includes $15,000 from the city, $15,000 from the FBI, and $10,000 from Manitowoc County Crime Stoppers.
Elijah is described as Hmong and white, with dark blond hair and brown eyes. He stands 3 feet tall, weighs between 35 and 40 pounds, and has a birthmark on his left knee.
He was last seen wearing gray pants, a long-sleeved, dark shirt, and red and green dinosaur slip-on shoes. He may have been carrying a red and white plaid blanket.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the state tip line at 844-267-6648, Two Rivers police at 920-686-7200, or the P3 app for anonymous tips.
[Feature Photo: Elijah Vue/Twin Rivers PD]