MANITOWOC – As the search for a missing three-year-old from Two Rivers nears a month-and-a-half, Elijah Vue’s caretaker was ordered by a Manitowoc County judge to stand for trial later this month.
The ruling was decided after Vang made an appearance in court Thursday, during which attorneys questioned the responding Manitowoc County Sheriff’s detective who spoke to Jesse Vang the day Vue went missing, and a lieutenant of the Two River Police Department.
Detective Michael Hermann was first on the stand, telling the court more about the punishment Vang would administer to Vue, who would only spend time at Vang’s Two Rivers residence as a disciplinary measure.
“He did indicate during the interview that the child would become tired from standing for long periods of time, yes,” said Hermann when asked by Manitowoc County district attorney Jacalyn Christie Labre whether or not Vue would get tired during his punishment sessions.
Hermann was also asked about the general care of Vue while under Vang’s supervision, including how often Vue’s diapers would be change on a given day.
“Mr. Vang advised that he changed the child’s diaper at least one time per day,” said Hermann.
“And through your course of employment in law enforcement for over 30 years, based on your experience, typically do children need to be changed as far as diapers more than once per day?” asked Labre.
“Yes,” responded Hermann.
Hermann also testified that Vang provided one toy for Vue during his stays in Two Rivers, described by Hermann as “some kind of tool box”. Defense attorney Timothy Hogan responded to this line of questioning by inferring that Hermann wasn’t privy to all the contents gathered during a search of Vang’s residence, which could have had children’s books for Vue to read.
“Since you testified you are not aware of the contents of the search, you wouldn’t be aware whether books were actually located at the residence, would you?” asked Hogan.
“Not specifically, no,” responded Hermann.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Mother and caregiver of Elijah Vue charged with child neglect
Second on the stand was Lieutenant Jacob Glaser, who read out text messages investigators uncovered between Vang and Baur exchanged two days before Vue’s disappearance.
“The defendant messages Miss Baur telling her to ‘trust him’, and that he’s ‘gonna make sure that he hates being at his residence’. And Miss Baur responds that she does not him to hate the defendant, just to fear him. And the defendant responds: ‘It’s okay, someone had to be the bad person’…Miss Baur responds: ‘I know but either way, he can fear you and respect you’ and the defendant responds: ‘he did fear me, but he didn’t respect me. Now I’m making him respect me.'”
Judge Robert Dewane determined the texts to be significant, and scheduled Vang’s arraignment for April 16th.
Vue has been missing since February 20th. Vang and Vue’s mother Katrina Baur are both charged with chronic neglect of a child, but have still not been charged with Vue’s disappearance.
Baur is scheduled to appear in court April 26th for further proceedings on her own child neglect charges.
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