Elijah Vue update: Mother pleads not guilty to child neglect charges as search reaches fifth weekend
Authorities found Elijah Vue’s missing blanket four miles from his last known location
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Elijah Vue’s mother pleaded not guilty on Friday to charges in connection to the toddler’s disappearance.
Katrina Baur appeared briefly before Judge Robert Dewane, with her next court appearance now set over a month from now.
This comes after a brief court appearance on Thursday for her friend Jesse Vang, who was the last known person to see Elijah.
The toddler was last seen by Mr Vang on 20 February in Two Rivers, a town on the shore of Lake Michigan.
Authorities say Ms Baur sent her son to live with Mr Vang for “disciplinary reasons,” where the boy was reportedly subjected to lengthy time-outs and threats of cold water if he misbehaved.
Now, it has emerged that Mr Vang was previously charged with human trafficking. The charges were later dropped.
Earlier this week, police found a blanket belonging to Elijah four miles from his last known location. There is a $40,000 reward for anyone with information that leads to an arrest. Officials describe Elijah as three feet tall, with brown hair and brown eyes — he is also of Hmong and white ethnicity.
Katrina Baur due in court shortly
Elijah’s mother, Katrina Baur, is due to appear in court for her arraignment hearing shortly.
She was scheduled for a 4pm local time hearing at the Manitowoc County Court.
Suspects were arrested just over a month ago
Following Jesse Vang’s court appearance on Thursday and Katrina Baur’s upcoming appearance later today, let’s take a quick look at the timeline leading up to today.
20 February – Searches for Elijah get underway, while Jesse Vang is arrested on suspicion of child neglect that evening.
21 February – Katrina Baur is arrested on suspicion of being party-to-a-crime child neglect.
26 February – Two Rivers Police Department confirm they are searching a local landfill site as part of the investigation. Ms Baur and Mr Vang appear in court, with the mother receiving two additional charges of obstruction. The details of Mr Vang’s tactics emerge in court documents.
7 March - The two suspects appear in court, with updated charges announced for Ms Baur. A statement from her mother is read out, asking for the judge not to let her daughter out of jail.
14 March - A judge rules that Ms Baur will go to trial. Mr Vang has requested a speedy trial and an attorney. Ms Baur’s arraignment is scheduled for 22 March.
Timeline of disappearance and search for missing Wisconsin three-year-old
The child’s mother and her boyfriend remain in custody as the search reaches the month mark
The face of a little boy missing for over a month
It’s been over a month now since Elijah Vue was reported missing, with only a handful of photos available of the 3-year-old.
Scheduled searches for Elijah called off
Volunteer search efforts for Elijah have been called off Friday, as a snowstorm hits the area.
WBAY reports that the events, run by Elijahs relatives, are expected to resume on Satuday.
What charges does Elijah’s mother face?
When Katrina Baur appears in court this afternoon, she’ll be asked to enter pleas on four charges.
The first is a count of chronic child neglect, in relation to Elijah. She also faces a charge of child neglect in relation to her six-year-old daughter.
The other two charges are that of resisting or obstructing an officer. Those came after she reportedly changed her story as to her whereabouts in the days around Elijah’s disappearance.
When Ms Baur is due to appear at the Manitowoc County Court at 4pm local time.
FBI offers reward for information
The FBI has been involved in the search for Elijah and has offered a $15,000 reward for information on his whereabouts.
This is on top of a $25,000 reward for information from Manitowoc County Crime Stoppers.
Pictured: The man Elijah was staying with
The 3-year-old was staying with Jesse Vang, 39, at his home in Two Rivers, Wisconsin.
Mr Vang is being held at the Manitowoc County Jail.
What has Elijah’s family said?
We haven’t heard from Elijah’s relatives in a few weeks, but at an emotional press conference at the start of the month, his grandmother and aunt pleaded for help.
Elijah’s grandmother wept as she thanked everyone who had helped with the search so far, while his aunt begged his mother, Katrina Baur, and her friend, Jesse Vang, for information on where the boy was.
“Every day without him feels like a piece of our hearts is missing,” Linda Vue said. “We long to hear his laughter, to witness his curiosity and to feel the warmth of his embrace.
“The emptiness left in his absence is a void that cannot be filled by anything else.”
Amber alert still active for Elijah
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children still has its Amber Alert out for Elijah. He is one of only two national alerts in effect.
What can we expect at Katrina Baur’s arraignment hearing?
Elijah Vue’s mother is due to appear before Judge Robert Dewane once more at 4pm today for her arraignment hearing.
This means she will be formally charged with the four counts against her and will be asked to enter a plea of guilty or not guilty.
It is not clear how long the hearing at the Manitowoc County Court will take, but it has been placed at the end of the day when court sessions are usually wrapping up.
After today, it could be between 60 and 90 days for the next court appearance, unless other charges are brought.