TWO RIVERS, Wis. — The Manitowoc County Sheriff’s Office is launching an investigation after human skeletal remains were found Saturday, Sept. 7, in the Two Rivers area.
Authorities said that the remains were discovered on private property by a deer hunter, who informed law enforcement immediately.
Officials had been seen near Camp Manitou, but the camp has posted that the investigation was not on their grounds.
The sheriff’s office is unable to provide specific information regarding the race, sex or age of the remains, as the investigation is ongoing.
The sheriff’s office is working closely with the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), Wisconsin State Crime Lab, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Anthropology Department, Two Rivers Police Department and the Manitowoc County Coroner’s Office to determine the identity of the remains.
Officials said they are fully aware of the ongoing case of missing 4-year-old Elijah Vue, who disappeared in February. However, they are unable to confirm if the skeletal remains that were discovered are related to that case.
Authorities contacted Vue's aunt late Sunday evening and she told Spectrum News that they informed the family it would take approximately two weeks to determine the identity of the remains through DNA testing.
A farmhouse that sits just a few miles from where the remains were found has been searched by multiple law enforcement agencies. The house is also a few miles away from the apartment complex where Vue was last seen.
Katrina Baur, Vue's mother, used to live at that farmhouse, Jodi Baur confirmed. Jodi Baur is Katrina Baur's mother and Vue's grandmother.
Jodi Baur said Jesse Vang, Katrina Baur's boyfriend and last person to see Vue, also lived in the house with some of his family members when he was growing up.
Kathy Hassleman, whose sister now lives at the farmhouse, said she was shocked to see a picture of Baur, Vue and Vue's sister at the house.
"I recognized the porch and I texted my sister right away, said, 'That's your house,'" Hassleman said. "And then my sister freaked out because she just moved in [to] this house."
Hassleman's sister only recently moved into the farmhouse, she said. But Hassleman confirmed the house has been searched multiple times since Vue went missing.
Amid the search for Vue, his mother faces chronic neglect of a child plus resisting or obstructing an officer. Vang, is charged with chronic neglect of a child. Nobody has been charged with Vue's disappearance, but both Baur and Vang are still in jail.
Vang told police that on Feb. 20, he fell asleep while watching Vue and that when he woke up, Vue was gone. Vue was last seen in Two Rivers.
Sheriff Dan Hartwig said no additional information will be released at this time.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.