MANITOWOC COUNTY, Wis. — Katrina Baur, mother of missing 3-year-old Elijah Vue, and her boyfriend, Jesse Vang, each appeared in court Thursday for motion hearings.
Katrina Baur
In an amended criminal complaint, Baur will now face one charge of chronic neglect of a child as a party to a crime, as opposed to the original charge of neglect of a child as a party to a crime. That charge is related to her son, Vue.
“Not only were we dealing with [Baur] sending the child to Two Rivers for discipline, or the ‘boot camp’ as they described it, to make that child fearful of [Vang], so that when the child returns to [Baur’s] residence, he would behave better,” Manitowoc County district attorney Jacalyn Labre said.
On Feb. 16, Labre alleged that Baur left Vue unattended for at least an hour while she and Vang “[were] traveling to locations in the City of Manitowoc and neither one of them are seen with the child.”
In the amended criminal complaint, she also faces one charge of neglecting a child. That charge is for allegedly neglecting a different child, who was 6 years old, on Feb. 14.
“There is also evidence that on Feb. 14, [Baur] left the 6-year-old unattended in a vehicle for approximately an hour in cold weather. The temperature around that time was around probably 27 to 30 degrees, with the vehicle turned off,” Labre said.
She also faces two charges of resisting or obstructing an officer.
Labre said Baur “encouraged [Vang] not to cooperate with law enforcement.”
Baur’s attorney asked for Baur’s bail to be lowered. Judge Robert Dewane denied that request.
Labre read a victim statement from Baur’s mother, which asked the court to deny any modifications to the bond.
“She has contacts in other states that may be willing to assist her depending on the story she is telling,” Baur’s mother wrote in-part in the statement. “Her story always depends on her audience.”
Her mother noted that Baur has no ties to the community. The two have had a “severed” relationship since Oct. 2022.
Baur’s mother said her daughter has a history of mental illness, records in multiple states, patterns of erratic behavior and suffers from a traumatic brain injury.
“I don’t feel it’s worth the risk to lower her bond, especially as [Vue] has not been found and many questions are unanswered,” her mother wrote in-part in the statement.
Cash bail remains at $15,000 for Baur. Baur remains in Manitowoc County Jail.
Baur’s next court appearance will be March 14.
Jesse Vang
Vang appeared in court Thursday without an attorney.
Dewane said Vang qualifies for a public defender, but one has not been found.
Vang filed for an application for court appointed council.
Dewane said the application was premature, and he had to give the public defender’s office more time to find an attorney for Vang.
Vang told the judge he wants to file for a bail reduction.
Cash bail remains at $20,000 for Vang. Vang remains in Manitowoc County Jail.
Vang’s next court appearance will be March 14.
Support for Elijah Vue
Many people gathered in court Thursday to show support for Vue, who has been missing since Feb. 20.
During Thursday’s hearings, and previous hearings, some people have been wearing “Help Find Elijah” shirts.
Dewane said those shirts will not be permitted in court going forward.
“I typically don’t allow people to wear shirts for missing people or alleged victims in the courtroom — especially once we get to the point where Ms. Baur or Mr. Vang is going to be in person,” he said. “I have no problem with the fact that people have them. I understand why, and I got no problem if people want to cover them up with a jacket, but I typically don’t allow those to be worn or exposed in the courtroom.”
He said in the future, people would be removed from the courtroom for wearing such attire.
“It’s not for any reason other than I’m trying to maintain the temperature in the courtroom here and not have people get too excited,” he said.
Constance Brooks, who wore one of those shirts while attending the hearings Thursday, said she understood the reasoning.
“We just came to represent. So, I understand that. If we can’t wear them, we won’t wear them. But, it does not stop us from wearing them on the outside, you know?” Brooks said.
Maria Wright also attended court hearings on Thursday.
“I am here for the family. We all want what is right to find this little boy. Everything I could do, I am going to do. Being here, out searching, doing my job, what everyone else is doing,” Wright said.
Support for Vue is pouring outside of the courtroom, too.
On Thursday morning, a crowd of about a dozen people gathered a block away from the courthouse to continue organizing search efforts for Vue.
Patty Gibson traveled from Ashwaubenon to join other volunteers. It’s the first time she’s driven out to Manitowoc to help.
“Many of us are grandparents. We feel the agony that the family must be going through. Hearing the support of the community and know that others are out there and want to support them like we are supporting too,” Gibson said.
Details about Elijah Vue
Vue was reported missing on Feb. 20.
Vue is a 3-year-old boy with sandy colored hair and brown eyes. Two Rivers Police Department said he “was described as having Hmong and white ethnicity.”
He has a birthmark on his left knee. He is 3-feet-tall and weighs 45 pounds.
In the Amber Alert issued Feb. 20, police said he was last seen wearing gray sweatpants, as well as a long-sleeve, dark-colored shirt and red and green dinosaur slip-on shoes. Police said he could have had a red and white plaid blanket with him.
Anyone with any information about the case is asked to call the tipline at 844-267-6648 or submit information via the Manitowoc County Crime Stoppers P3 app.
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