The mother of a missing Wisconsin boy took a photograph that showed him bruised and blindfolded days before he vanished, but she later deleted the image, WTAQ reports.
The revelation of the photo is among a trove of additional details contained in new court documents filed against the mother of Elijah Vue, who has been missing since February 20.
Authorities allege Elijah’s mother, 31-year-old Katrina Baur, forced her son to stay with her boyfriend, 39-year-old Jesse Vang, at his apartment in Two Rivers so he could teach the 3-year-old “how to be a man,” according to an updated criminal complaint filed Thursday.
The document details an alleged timeline of Baur’s and Vang’s movements in the days leading up to Elijah’s disappearance. Among those dates:
Prosecutors say Baur left her 6-year-old daughter unattended in a vehicle in the early morning hours of February 14, Valentine’s Day, so she could meet Vang for sex in his apartment. Temperatures at the time were below freezing, and Baur did not leave the vehicle running, according to NBC Chicago.
At 3:13 a.m. that same day, a photo was taken on Baur’s phone showing Elijah on a bed and with a blindfold over his eyes. He also appeared to have bruising on his neck, jaw, and an arm. The image was deleted about an hour later.
“Katrina Baur confirmed that she took the picture and later deleted it around 4:12 AM,” the complaint states.
The complaint further alleges that Baur had left Elijah unattended for at least one hour on February 16.
Katrina Baur Amended Complaint by Leigh Egan
Phone data show Baur left Two Rivers in the early morning hours of February 17. The following day, Vang allegedly texted Baur: “I told you to trust me.. I’m a make sure he hates me and being here,” according to the criminal complaint.
Baur responded: “Don’t want him to *hate* YOU. Just fear you,” the complaint states.
Vang then replied: “It’s ok. Some one had to be the bad person,” to which Baur texted “I know but either way at he can fear you and respect you.”
Vang wrote back: “He did fear me..but he didn’t respect me..now I’m making him respect me.”
On February 20, Vang called police to report Elijah missing. He claimed that he took a nap and brought the boy into the bedroom, but when he awoke several hours later, Elijah was gone.
In his efforts to discipline Elijah, Vang allegedly forced the boy to take cold showers and threatened him with being exposed to cold water, according to the criminal complaint.
Vang and Baur have denied any involvement in the boy’s disappearance. Vang has been charged with party-to-a-crime child neglect and is being held in jail on a $20,000 cash bond. Baur faces charges of felony party-to-a-crime chronic child neglect and misdemeanor charges of neglecting a child and resisting or obstructing an officer. She also remains in jail on a $15,000 cash bond.
Baur’s mother wrote a letter to the court asking the judge to keep her daughter behind bars, alleging that her daughter was a flight risk and has a history of irresponsible behavior, according to NBC 26.
Baur’s attorney told the court that her client is concerned about Elijah and is “worried sick not knowing where her son is,” according to WTAQ.
Two Rivers is located along Lake Michigan between Green Bay and Milwaukee.
A $25,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to finding Elijah. To report information, call the Two Rivers Police Department at 844-267-6648.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast. Listen to a previous episode on the case below.
[Feature Photo: Elijah Vue/Twin Rivers PD]
