MANITOWOC, Wis. (AP) — Prosecutors filed additional child neglect charges on Thursday against the mother of a 3-year-old Wisconsin boy who vanished last month, and a judge rejected her request for a bond reduction.
Katrina Baur's son, Elijah Vue, was last seen on Feb. 20 at a residence in Two Rivers where prosecutors said she had sent him to stay with her boyfriend. Searches by police and residents have so far not located the boy, and the reward for information in the case has grown to $25,000.
During Thursday’s hearing, Baur’s attorney, Ann Larson, told the court that “there’s a lot of high emotion going on, but there’s also a lot of high emotion going on with Ms. Baur. She’s been worried sick not knowing where her son is.”
Baur, of Wisconsin Dells, was charged last month with one felony count of party-to-a-crime child neglect and two misdemeanor counts of resisting or obstructing an officer. Baur, 31, is being held on a $15,000 cash bond.
Manitowoc County prosecutors amended the felony count on Thursday to a charge of party-to-a-crime chronic child neglect and also filed a misdemeanor charge of neglecting a child against Baur.
Prosecutors told the court they had evidence Baur left the 3-year-old unattended for at least an hour on Feb. 16 as she and her boyfriend, Jesse Vang, traveled to other locations throughout Manitowoc. They also said they had evidence Baur left a 6-year-old child unattended in a vehicle on Feb. 14 for about an hour in temperatures below freezing without the vehicle running.
New court documents released Thursday paint a picture of how the 3-year-old was treated by Vang, the last man known to have seen him alive.
Baur told police she had left her 3-year-old with Vang on Feb. 12 because she wanted him to teach her son “to be a man,” and she had intended to pick him up on Feb. 23, according to a criminal complaint.
On the morning Elijah disappeared Vang told investigators he ate breakfast with the little boy and afterward told him to stand and pray at the foot of Vang's bed. Vang said he didn't change Elijah's diaper because he was too tired. Vang called the police later that morning and said he woke up from a nap and the toddler was missing.
Investigators also revealed they have access to both Vang and Baur's phones which gives them access to location information as well as photos and messages during the days leading up to Elijah's disappearance.
In one discussion over text message Vang tells Baur, "I told you to trust me. I'm a make sure he hates me and being here." (sic). She writes back "Don't want him to hate you, just fear you." To that Vang responds, "It's ok. Someone had to be the bad person." and later adds "He did fear me..but he didn't respect me..now I'm making him respect me." (sic).
And perhaps the most chilling is a deleted photograph of Elijah found on his mother's phone, taken 7 days before he went missing. It shows the little boy lying on a bed with a blindfold over his eyes and bruises on his neck, jawline, and left arm.
Another photo shows Elijah standing in a corner, with his hands in a praying position, dressed in only a diaper — that appeared to be full.
Vang, 39, of Two Rivers, was formally charged in February with one felony count of party-to-a-crime child neglect. He is being held on a $20,000 cash bond.
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