TWO RIVERS, Wis. — It’s been nearly three months since 3-year-old Elijah Vue went missing from Two Rivers, Wis. The search for Vue is weighing heavily on his family, the community and law enforcement.
Two Rivers Police captain Andrew Raatz said his department is continuing to work to bring Vue home. The 3-year-old was reported missing on Feb. 20.
“At this point, we’re still searching for Elijah,” Raatz said.
For the past few months, dozens of state, local and federal agencies have assisted the Two Rivers Police Department in generating thousands of pieces of possible evidence and leads. Raatz said it’s been overwhelming at times, but his department continues to adapt.
“When this first all came about and seeing all these agencies coming together, I’m thinking, ‘How can we possibly all communicate and get the information through to that we need to?’ It was amazing to see that it is possible and it is entirely possible to conduct an investigation of this scale, when you have that many resources,” Raatz said.
While tips continue to slowly come in, there’s also been a huge outpouring of support to bring Vue home. Raatz said officers have been strengthened by all the support from the area and beyond.
“Not just the Two Rivers community, but the wider community throughout the state and throughout the country, is amazing amount of support we’ve gotten either through emails or phone calls or people stopping in or cards, you name it,” Raatz said.
This case has been disheartening for Vue’s family and the community. The 24/7 search operations are also hitting the Two Rivers Police Department hard as well. Raatz said he’s noticing some wear and tear as his department continues searching for the missing toddler.
“We’ve all been children; we’ve all had children or families. So even if we don’t have children, [the investigation] directly impacts everybody. It has been a definite impact and different drain on our officers. They’re very invested in this case. We all want to see it come to a conclusion,” Raatz said.
Raatz said his department remains resolute.
“The search is not over. We are certainly searching every week,” Raatz said.
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.
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. Those who provide information that help investigators located Vue are eligible for a reward of up to $40,000.