AMBER ALERT WI - Elijah Vue, 3 year old Elijah Vue, Two Rivers, 20 Feb 2024

[iusedtofloat]

i know many here have never heard of hmong before or have any experience with the culture. for anyone interested in the hmong culture:

Hmong - EthnoMed

ethnomed.org

this article covers a lot.
i do not know if elijah was raised in the culture itself, as his mom is white, but his dad and "mom's boyfriend" are both of hmong heritage so the way elijah has been brought up is TBD i suppose.

a little off topic but wanted to provide info. hmong people were great allies to the US during the vietnam war. i just don't want people to have a bad taste in their mouth about these beautiful people just because they learned about the culture due to little elijah's case. hope that's ok to post.... thank you....

 

[gitana1]

Every time I come to this thread, I have to swallow hard to hold back a tear. If only she could have found the compassion and the insight to feel what her son needed. He only needed love, kisses, hugs, tenderness, patience and understanding. Not to be sent away to some troubled toddler wilderness camp transforming Elijah into a man. A man? A what? Good grief, I’ve never heard something so outrageous.

Where did you find that info? About wanting to turn that baby into a man?

ETA: Never mind! I see the article!

 

[Muddy K]

i know many here have never heard of hmong before or have any experience with the culture. for anyone interested in the hmong culture:

Hmong - EthnoMed

ethnomed.org

this article covers a lot.
i do not know if elijah was raised in the culture itself, as his mom is white, but his dad and "mom's boyfriend" are both of hmong heritage so the way elijah has been brought up is TBD i suppose.

a little off topic but wanted to provide info. hmong people were great allies to the US during the vietnam war. i just don't want people to have a bad taste in their mouth about these beautiful people just because they learned about the culture due to little elijah's case. hope that's ok to post.... thank you....

Thanks for this thoughtful post, @iusedtofloat

I live in one of the major cities in Wisconsin and wanted to add that, as the state began to absorb Hmong refugees and immigrants over the past couple of decades, those new arrivals seemingly never forgot the welcome they received and were determined to pay it back in kind. In my city alone, there are a couple of Hmong-founded community outreach centers that provide food-sharing, health and wellness programs, domestic violence counseling and support services, to name just a few, to anyone in need, regardless of ethnicity. I see that same outreaching kindness in Elijah's extended family and my heart breaks for them.

This whole thing just feels heavier and more tragic by the day. Where is he? Why don't these two "adults" do that classic cowardly thing at this point, turn on each other and start pointing fingers, each trying to save their own skin?

I cannot believe or accept that empathy doesn't seem to pertain here at all. Elijah is somewhere, dead or alive, intact or in pieces. Doesn't that matter at all?

JMO

 

[gitana1]

These things would be considered cruel and unusual punishment for prisoners, unconstitutional. Only deranged individuals would consider this acceptable for a child, and are not fit to be in society.

Yes. However, we do have a society that believes little children, whose brains aren’t close to being developed, who are exceedingly vulnerable mentally, and small physically, should be hit by grown adults for behaviors that adults display all the time (stealing, lying, being angry, talking back, etc.) instead of just modeling and teaching and loving our little ones.

The amount of comments I see advocating harsh punishment of small children for minor things they do on social media, for example, is insane. One recent one I recall was a cute three year old little girl in a shopping cart using her drink cup to bop her dad’s drink cup, which was in the cup holder, over and over, because she wanted to put her own cup in the cup holder. People went nuts in the comments about how the video made them “enraged” and how they would smack their child for behaving similarly.

Until punishment of small children in general, is not culturally acceptable, we will continue to have many of these cases, as it stems from an age-old mindset that children are born sinners and need to be “trained” with negative reinforcement in order to become good citizens. IMO.

 

[Hollypine]

Yes. However, we do have a society that believes little children, whose brains aren’t close to being developed, who are exceedingly vulnerable mentally, and small physically, should be hit by grown adults for behaviors that adults display all the time (stealing, lying, being angry, talking back, etc.) instead of just modeling and teaching and loving our little ones.

The amount of comments I see advocating harsh punishment of small children for minor things they do on social media, for example, is insane. One recent one I recall was a cute three year old little girl in a shopping cart using her drink cup to bop her dad’s drink cup, which was in the cup holder, over and over, because she wanted to put her own cup in the cup holder. People went nuts in the comments about how the video made them “enraged” and how they would smack their child for behaving similarly.

Until punishment of small children in general, is not culturally acceptable, we will continue to have many of these cases, as it stems from an age-old mindset that children are born sinners and need to be “trained” with negative reinforcement in order to become good citizens. IMO.

Absolutely. When people make comments like that, I feel sick to my stomach

 

[Gemmie]

Most current update by LE.

Release Date: February 29, 2024 4:50 PM

We are still looking for Elijah.

Officers are following up on all tips and leads. Aerial and water searches continue on our rivers, landfills and quarries, as well as urban and rural canvasses. Today officers also conducted an extensive search of the city’s storm sewers with the assistance of our Department of Public Works crew.

Call our tip line at 844-267-6648 or submit information via our Crime Stoppers P3 app with any information you think could be helpful. Callers with information leading to the location of Elijah Vue, or arrest of person(s) involved in or responsible for his disappearance could become eligible to receive a reward of up to $1,000 through Manitowoc County Crime Stoppers. The FBI is also offering a reward of up to $15,000 for information leading to the location and return of Elijah Vue and/or the arrest and conviction of the individual/s involved in his disappearance.

The City of Two Rivers has also set up an online payment option on the City’s website, as well as the City of Two Rivers Police Department website for those wishing to make donations towards a reward or the search efforts to find Elijah.

https://www.two-rivers.org
Welcome

Two Rivers Police Department continues to be your sole source for accurate and up to date information regarding this case, and locating Elijah is our priority! Thank you to everyone assisting in the search efforts.

Ben Meinnert
Chief of Police

Two Rivers Police Department

Two Rivers Police Department. 19,266 likes · 121 talking about this. Two Rivers Police Department, Two Rivers, Wisconsin ~ Dedicated, Progressive, & Professional

www.facebook.com

 

[Sadi]

I bet the argument is that she’s too poor to afford even a small bond. She could use a bond company but she’d have to put up some kind of collateral such as a house, which I doubt she owns.

There’s been controversy lately over cash bonds and the potential bias against the poor. Whether or not Katrina will get her bond lowered should be under debate. Though not convicted of a crime - yet, having her child disappear under suspicious circumstances should be enough to sequester her. IMO

Cash bail policies are under fresh scrutiny • Stateline

Cash bail is undergoing a reckoning as policymakers debate its disproportionate effects on underserved communities and people with low incomes who sometimes can’t afford bail — as well as just how much the system truly keeps the public safe.

stateline.org

And lying to the police, initially.
But she sure has the money to put gas in her car and make numerous trips between Wisconsin Dells, WI and Two Rivers, WI. That's about 300 miles round trip each time she goes. Can't work because she's on SSDI, but can sit for hours driving in a vehicle burning up the roads.

Due to the heinousness of the circumstances surrounding Elijah's deplorable, cruel and inhumane treatment, that she condoned, she needs to stay right where she is. I sure hope they find Elijah so that appropriate murder charges will follow.

DBM

 

[46daze]

I bet the argument is that she’s too poor to afford even a small bond. She could use a bond company but she’d have to put up some kind of collateral such as a house, which I doubt she owns.

Wisconsin doesn’t have bail bondsmen.

 

[Lifeonaline]

During this time, the child was required to pray or say, "I'm sorry mommy." Prosecutors say Vang reported the child was in "time out" for the majority of his time with him as a form of "boot camp."

Complaint: Child at center of Amber Alert sent to mother's boyfriend's house as punishment for 'bad behavior'

WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Criminal charges were officially filed Monday, Feb. 26 against the mother of the 3-year-old at the center of an ongoing Amber Alert, and her boyfriend. On the same day, the Two Rivers Police Department announced Elijah still had not been found. Katr

www.cbs58.com

0q

 

[MsMarple]

Wisconsin doesn’t have bail bondsmen.

Oops, that’s what I get for not completing my research! Thank you.

 

[grannygates]

I hope it’s okay to share I just saw that people magazine wrote an article about little Elijah. Here’s to hoping it brings more attention and resources to this case.

 

[Chimera]

Elijah Vue's grandmother begs for answers on missing three-year-old

Mother Katrina Baur and her boyfriend Jesse Vang have been charged with felony child neglect as his paternal grandmother Lia Vang tearfully pleaded with her neighbors to keep looking

www.dailymail.co.uk

Elijah Vue's heartbroken grandmother sobs as she begs mother and boyfriend charged with neglect to tell them where he is: 'A piece of our hearts is missing'

Vang's alleged harsh discipline involved forcing Elijah to stand for up to three hours at a time, while he was forced to repeat the phrase 'I'm sorry, Mommy.'

Detectives said that he didn't identify specific incidents that led him to punish the boy, but said that if the boy failed his punishments, he would ask him: 'Do you want the cold water ?'
Red emphasis mine.

Cold showers ?
Ice baths ?
Horrifically painful, as I'm sure most of us can imagine.

I feel for that grandma, she seems genuinely upset.
Omo.

 

[PommyMommy]

FEB 29, 2024

Mother of missing 3-year-old Elijah Vue seeks bail change

In her petition, Baur asserts that she has been unable to secure the funds required for her release.

www.wisn.com

[...]

... Baur, unable to raise the $15,000 cash bail, has filed court documents requesting that her bail be converted to a personal recognizance bond.

In her petition, Baur asserts that she has been unable to secure the funds required for her release.

A personal recognizance bond would allow her to leave custody without any financial payment under the promise that she will appear at all scheduled court proceedings.

[...]

As of Thursday, Jesse Vang ... doesn’t have an attorney, WBAY reports.

The petition was filed for an appointment of counsel, stating he is indigent, which means he can’t afford to get an attorney on his own.https://www.wisn.com/article/wiscon...g-3-year-old-elijah-vue-what-we-know/46996504

 

[PommyMommy]

FEB 29, 2024

What to know about Jesse Vang, the Two Rivers man charged with neglecting missing 3-year-old Elijah Vue

Jesse Vang told police he was in a relationship with Elijah Vue's mother and had been taking care of Elijah for a week before the boy went missing.

www.htrnews.com

[...]

Vang's criminal history does include being convicted of felony child abuse in 2002, however the charge stems from a fight with a fellow juvenile inmate who was five years younger than him. The incident occurred on Dec. 9, 2001.

According to the criminal complaint from Outagamie County Circuit Court, Vang, who was 17 years old at the time, took offense to a joke told by a 12-year-old inmate while they were in the "program area" of the Outagamie County Jail. Vang punched the victim and struck him multiple times with a plastic chair, causing the victim non-life-threatening injuries.

[...]

Vang spent three years, from 2018 to 2021, imprisoned on a federal conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine charge.

[...]

... After his imprisonment, he was on supervised release, which was supposed to last until 2025.

[...]

In Wisconsin, the court system requires people to pay the full cash bail to be released from custody.

[...]

 

[imstilla.grandma]

One option is a Reward Fund. According to the city's website, "If unable to use the reward money it will be repurposed to the search efforts in locating Elijah, unless otherwise requested by the donor."

The other option is a donation to support the search and investigation. Funds will be used to help cover the costs for food, water, and anything else related to the cost of the investigation, according to the city website.

New donation options available to help with search for Elijah Vue

TWO RIVERS, Wis. (WKOW) -- The City of Two Rivers unveiled new options for people who wish to donate to help in the search for missing 3-year-old Elijah Vue.

www.wkow.com

 

[imstilla.grandma]

• One of the moderators of "Where is Elijah Vue" on Facebook is talking about the page and the search for Elijah
• Video shows many social media posts regarding missing 3-year-old Elijah Vue
• "We have had a lot of missing posters and things that we've made, and they’ve reached over 2 million computer screens," said Megan, one of the moderators.
• Online public discussion and theories about Vue have exploded

(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)

As the search for Elijah Vue grows deciding what's fact and fiction can be a challenge. I'm Katlyn Holt in Two Rivers taking a deeper look at online sleuths and their impact on the case.

Online public discussion and theories about missing Elijah have exploded.

I wanted to know, is this helping?

“Really, it's fantastic that people are taking an interest in these cases,” said Zemlock.

Aaron Zemlock is a criminal justice instructor at Fox Valley Technical College. More at link:

'A lot of tips have come from it': Moderator of Elijah Vue discussion page shares why she does it

"A lot of tips have come from it and it really is bringing the community together, it's brought a ton of search parties together," said one of the moderators of "Where is Elijah Vue" on Facebook

www.nbc26.com

 

[Sadi]

FEB 29, 2024

Mother of missing 3-year-old Elijah Vue seeks bail change

In her petition, Baur asserts that she has been unable to secure the funds required for her release.

www.wisn.com

[...]

... Baur, unable to raise the $15,000 cash bail, has filed court documents requesting that her bail be converted to a personal recognizance bond.

In her petition, Baur asserts that she has been unable to secure the funds required for her release.

A personal recognizance bond would allow her to leave custody without any financial payment under the promise that she will appear at all scheduled court proceedings.

[...]

As of Thursday, Jesse Vang ... doesn’t have an attorney, WBAY reports.

The petition was filed for an appointment of counsel, stating he is indigent, which means he can’t afford to get an attorney on his own.Missing 3-year-old: What we know about missing Elijah Vue

What are her reasons for requesting this? There’s a reason why she’s there. What is the likelihood her request will be approved and she’ll be released? I personally hope and pray that doesn’t happen.

 

[lightofmine99]

What are her reasons for requesting this? There’s a reason why she’s there.

Well because she doesn't want to sit in jail, of course. She knows why she's there (even if she did not kill/dispose of Eli directly herself) but I don't think she cares about that too much.

Not being sarcastic towards you, just making rhetorical statements re: Baur.

 

[46daze]

What are her reasons for requesting this? There’s a reason why she’s there. What is the likelihood her request will be approved and she’ll be released? I personally hope and pray that doesn’t happen.

the charge (so far) is child neglect. 15K is high for that charge, MOO. And I'm sure it's coming from her lawyer, who is doing their job.

 

[Sadi]

Well because she doesn't want to sit in jail, of course. She knows why she's there (even if she did not kill/dispose of Eli directly herself) but I don't think she cares about that too much.

Not being sarcastic towards you, just making rhetorical statements re: Baur.

Isn’t she considered a risk in disappearing if she did get out? She was a no show many times, lied to police about her whereabouts and she brought Elijah to Jesse to discipline him knowing what the involved. Too many reasons why she needs to stay where she is. IMOO