Jesse Vang pleads not guilty in Elijah Vue neglect case

Jesse Vang, the boyfriend of the mother of missing 3-year-old Elijah Vue, pleaded not guilty to a felony charge of chronic child neglect during his arraignment in Manitowoc County court yesterday. A judge has already ruled there’s enough evidence for Vang to face trial.

Elijah’s mother, Katrina Bauer, who’s from Wisconsin Dells and is also being charged, sent Elijah to stay with Vang in Two Rivers as a form of punishment for what Bauer called bad behaviors and to teach the 3-year-old how to be a man. Punishments included time outs that lasted between one to three hours where Elijah was forced to stand the whole time and Vang would punish him with cold showers if he sat down.

Baur, also pleaded not guilty at her arraignment and is due back in court on April 26 for further proceedings.

While Vang was reportedly the last person to see Elijah, who disappeared almost two months ago, no one has been charged in his disappearance.

Search parties are still being assembled on a regular basis in multiple parts of the state to search for the missing boy.