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Elijah Vue dead, skeletal remains found
The Two Rivers Police Department confirmed that human skeletal remains found last week were those of Elijah Vue.
TWO RIVERS, Wis. - The Two Rivers Police Department confirmed that human skeletal remains found last week were those of Elijah Vue. An Amber Alert, issued after the 3-year-old went missing in February, has been canceled.
The Manitowoc County Sheriff's Office said a deer hunter found the remains in a wooded area of Two Rivers on Sept. 7. The discovery was made in a privately owned area near a quarry and Camp Manitou.
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The Wisconsin Crime Lab conducted DNA testing on the remains, which included a skull and bones, to confirm they were Vue's. Police said the family was notified as soon as the DNA testing confirmed the identity of the remains.
"The family's devastated. We're devastated. Our community is devastated," said Two Rivers Police Chief Benjamin Meinnert. "I never met Elijah, but I watched that 3-year-old boy bring out the best in this community."
Elijah Vue
"Elijah was a little guy, but he left a huge impact on all of us, and he will not be forgotten," Two Rivers Assistant Police Chief Melissa Wiesner said.
Police said the location where Vue's remains were found is just over three miles from where he went missing. Meinnert said various teams had previously searched the area near Manitou Drive several times.
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"It's very sad, a young life," said Two Rivers resident Joseph Puta. "Definitely not the way I would’ve liked to have seen it end. Children are precious."
Vue went missing from his Two Rivers home on Feb. 20. Vue’s mother, Katrina Baur and her boyfriend, Jesse Vang, are still in jail – both criminally charged with child neglect, though not directly linked to the boy's disappearance and death as of now.
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Police confirm Elijah Vue's death
The Two Rivers Police Department on Friday confirmed the remains of Elijah Vue, the 3-year-old missing since February, were found last week. The Amber Alert has been canceled.
"I have grandkids that age, and I just don’t understand how people can do some of the things they do," Puta said. "I hope the justice system makes this a point to people."
A death investigation is now open. Anyone with information related to Vue's death is asked to call the Two Rivers Police Department.