Two Rivers Police confirm human remains belonged to missing 3-year-old Elijah Vue

Vue's parents were previously charged with felony child neglect after the child went missing

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Police lights flash
Lights on a parked police vehicle flash at scene of a fatal shooting in Philadelphia, Friday, April 28, 2023. Matt Rourke/AP Photo

The Two Rivers Police Department on Friday confirmed that human remains found on privately owned hunting land were those of a 3-year-old missing for seven months. 

Elijah Vue was reported missing on Feb. 20, and there had been multiple community efforts to locate the child, who would have turned 4 last month.

Two Rivers Police Chief Ben Meinnert said the remains were found on private property roughly three miles northwest of where Vue was reported missing. The owner of the property found the remains as the owner was preparing it for hunting season.

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Elijah Vue. Photo provided by the FBI Milwaukee Bureau

The state crime lab, Meinnert said, confirmed the remains belonged to Vue.

“What started out as a search for a missing boy is now a death investigation,” Meinnert said. “Although we understand your desire for information, we can’t share every detail, and we must maintain the integrity of the investigation.”

He said the Amber Alert for Vue will be canceled. As soon as Vue was identified, Meinnert said police notified his family.

“This is not the outcome we hoped for,” he said. “The family’s devastated. We’re devastated. Our community is devastated.”

Vue’s guardians, his mother Katrina Bauer and her boyfriend Jesse Vang, were charged with felony child neglect in late February. 

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Two Rivers Police Department.