April 13, 2024 • 37 mins
Elijah Vue, 3, is still missing.
The toddler was last seen at the home of her mother's boyfriend, Jesse Vang. Vang had been taking care of the boy for about a month to reportedly help mother Katrina Baur with care and discipline.
The day Vue vanished, Vang said he was disciplining the boy, ordering him to stand next to Vang's bed and pray. Vang fell asleep. Three hours later, when Vang woke up the boy was gone.
Both Vang and Baur have been arrested, and charged with crimes related to child neglect. A judge had paved the way for Vang to be tried.
Joining Nancy Grace Today:
- Darryl Cohen – Former Assistant District Attorney (Fulton County, Georgia) Former Assistant State Attorney (Florida), and Defense Attorney: Cohen, Cooper, Estep, & Allen, LLC; Facebook: “Darryl B Cohen;” X: @DarrylBCohen
- Thomas E. Fischer - Fmr. Milwaukee Police Detective, Owner/Chief Investigator for Thomas Fischer Investigations LLC
- Mike Hadsell – President and Founder, Peace River K9 Search and Rescue; X: @K9River
- Meghan Krein – Director of Communications and PR at Child Help
- Aisha Morales - Morning News Anchor - WBAY-TV2, Green Bay Wisconsin; X: @Aisha Morales WBAY
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Do you remember the name
Elijah View?
Speaker 2 (00:10):
I do.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Elijah is a three year old Wisconsin boy who seemingly
vanished in February. In the last hours, a bombshell development
in the case of three year old Elijah View. I'm
Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories. Thanks for being with
us here at Crime Stories and on Sirius x one eleven.
(00:32):
In the last hours, Elijah View's mother's boyfriend ordered to
stand trial on neglect. According to reports, the boyfriend was
the one caring for the three year old taught when
he seemingly vanished into thin air. After hearing testimony from
two law enforcement officers, a county judge rules there is
(00:56):
enough evidence to move forward with the case against thirty
nine year old Jesse Vang and baby Elijah View's disappearance.
The judge also wisely denied a defense motion to drop
the case against Vang. Boy, they got a lot of
nerve asking the judge to throw the case out.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Uh uh.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
The two Rivers, Wisconsin man formally charged in February with
one felony count of party to a crime child neglect
in Elijah's disappearance. Now Vang is the boyfriend of Elijah's mother,
if you can call her that, Katrina Bower of Wisconsin
Dell's who was charged also in February with one felony
(01:39):
count of party to a crime child neglect, two counts
resisting or obstructing an officer. Now, as you recall, little
Elijah was last seen at a residence in Two Rivers,
thirty miles southeast of Green Bay, where Bower, thirty one,
left her son to stay with Vang with a long
(02:01):
criminal history, because she wanted to teach the youngster at
the little boy three years old to quote be a man.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
Really.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
First of all, I want you to hear what we
know right now from the police chief.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Listen, this child.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Was three years old and was reported missing a cold
winter temperature day with only a blanket and possibly light clothing,
and we knew at that time possibly three to four hours.
I define that as endangered.
Speaker 5 (02:37):
I immediately reached out, with the assistance of my staff,
to the Division of Criminal Investigation.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
This is not about me.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
This has always been about bringing Elijah home.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
And quickly they.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
Led that investigation into his wareboats with the support of
our FBI. We also utilized almost any bullet U TV
Drone Kean and even National Guard pelicachleers to search for Elijah.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
Unfortunately, Elijah wasn't.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
With me an all star panel to make sense of
what we know right now. But first to Aisha Morales
joining us WBAYTV two out of Green Bay.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Aisha, thank you for being with us.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
I want to talk about, first of all, when did
he go missing?
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Go missing? And when was he reported missing?
Speaker 1 (03:31):
What do we know, Aisha, because those two moments in
time could be very, very different.
Speaker 6 (03:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (03:37):
So initially when we got these reports, we were learning
that it was February twentieth, so a week ago yesterday,
February twentieth. From what we know now with the criminal complaints,
there is a discrepancy, and we reported on that here
in Green Bay and talking about how Vang initially told
police that he went missing around eleven eight on February twentieth,
(04:02):
and then the story did change a little bit, and
now we know that he actually went missing around eight am.
And as you know, any minute a child is gone,
it matters. And so there was that first discrepancy with
regards to the time that he disappeared, or at least
the time that he was reported missing by Van himself.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
Hold on, so one report he was missing, he was
gone at eight am on Feb twenty.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
What was the other time? I didn't get that? When
was that?
Speaker 8 (04:34):
Eleven am? Was the initial report?
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Feb twenty is a Tuesday. I'm trying to figure out.
So there's a big discrepancy between eleven am and eight am,
and a lot of people may think, oh, that's just
four hours.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Let me tell you something.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Somebody's driving sixty miles an hour times four, that's two
hundred and forty miles before he's reported missing. And I've
got another problem with that. Let me go out to
Thomas E. Fisher joining us former Milwaukee PD police detective,
now owner of Thomas Fisher Investigations dot com.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Thomas, thank you for being with us. I have a
problem with that because I.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Can tell you right now what time my children wake
up in the morning. My daughter gets up at six
five am, my son gets up at seven five am.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
And I know they're up because I go and check
on them.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
So how can you, at the best, Thomas Fisher, how
can you not know where your child is for four
hours between eight three hours between eight and eleven if
they're in the home right there, I.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Got a problem.
Speaker 9 (05:53):
That's a very good point. Basically, you have somebody that
was not watching this child or support of this trailed
someplace else. Based on what we know and what the
investigation has revealed to date, is that he was disciplined.
Disciplined that should not be given to a three year old.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Well, you know, Thomas Fisher, you are the former Milwaukee
police and detective and you are the owner, let me say,
a highly successful private investigative firm. But you left out
another glaring possibility.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
They're lying. You said either they weren't.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Watching them or something about the time discrepancy, or they're lying.
And can I just point out to you, Daryl Cohen,
jumping off what Fisher just said. You're the former prosecutor
now veteran defense attorney, Darryl Cohen, what do you do?
How do you explain that to a jury, if there
(06:54):
ever is one, how you weren't watching your child in
your own home.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
I mean, it's not that hard in your own home
to know where.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Your child is for three hours. Coincidentally, on the very
day he goes missing. A three year old shouldn't be
out of your site.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
Darryl Nancy at the age of three, he or she
in this case, he doesn't have to be out of
your sight for you to know where he is, because
you hear the noises that he's making, the absolute chaos
that comes with a three year old. So you don't
explain that to a jury. You have to keep your
damn big mouth shut and not say anything. But it's
(07:33):
really sad that he has disappeared, and we hope that
he will be located and located, alive and located. Okay,
there's no excuse for parenting the way she is trying
to do it. It's non parenting. It's prosecutable nonparenting. You don't
have to see your child. Just because you think your
(07:54):
child's in the house doesn't mean he is in the house.
You can be in the kitchen, he may or may
not be in his bedroom. You don't have to look
at him all of the time, you don't have to
hear him all of the time, you don't have to
be with him all the time, and suddenly when you
go look for him, he's not there. That's reasonable, that's explainable.
(08:15):
It's something that you have to deal with.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Daryl Conin, where exactly did you go to law school?
Speaker 3 (08:20):
I think the same place you did. That's probably a Macon.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Georgia for an NYU because obviously you didn't get the
class on BS technical legal term. Good luck telling that
to you a jury. You don't have to see your
child to know that he's okay, and you know it's
a miracle. I've met your daughters, beautiful, It's a miracle
they grew up safe and sound and apparently sane when
(08:46):
daddy didn't know where they were half the time. Let's
get back on this case. I'm wandering for a field.
I want to hear more of what the police have
to say about their search efforts, and think about it.
A three year old little boy Wbay and Thomas Fisher.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
Want to eat side of Milwaukee.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
What were the temperatures around this time feb twenty Tuesday morning,
eight a m. Or eleven, depending on what the parents
feel like saying at that.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Moment, But what was the temp? How cold is it there?
Speaker 7 (09:17):
It was a mild day actually in comparison to other
February days. We do remember that, but we also know
that he is forty five pounds or so, so anything
below fifty degrees forty degrees, even though it's mild for
Wisconsin standards, it was still pretty chilly. You would need
a jacket or at least a co and he didn't,
from what I understand, didn't have that.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Okay, wait a minute. You call thirty degrees mild. We
do here in Wisconsin. Okay, I understand that where I'm from,
that is like you're in the Antarctic at thirty degrees. Okay,
So for me, thirty degrees is cold, and I'm wondering
how that would have affected this child hypothermia. Why, but
(10:00):
I'm opening up a whole other can worms. Let's get
back to the search. Listen again to police Chaef be
in my heart.
Speaker 5 (10:06):
Those leads, those investigations, everything we've taken as tips have led.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
To searching our neighborhoods, searching all.
Speaker 5 (10:14):
Our waterways, foot canvases, both urban and rural, throughout Manitoua
County and even beyond. We've searched Wisconsin land and buies,
and we've even had additional leads in Wisconsin.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
Does In addition to all those search efforts, I amost
other investigations taking place. I can confirm Elijah's mother, Katrina Bower,
is in jail. I'm charges of child neglect and obstructing.
(10:52):
Katrina's boyfriend, Jesse Bang is in jail on charges of
child neglect and I do know Elijah's father has also
been incarcerated at Ashkosh Correctional Institute in unrelated matters since
twenty twenty three.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
Welcome back in the Last Hour's Mommy's Living is ordered
to stand trial and the disappearance of a three year
old Wisconsin boy, Elijah view the mother again that just
sticks in my throat to call her that Katrina Bauer
sent her talk to this convicted felon to quote teach
(11:45):
him to be a man thang. The boyfriend calls police
and reports Elijah missing, telling cops, oh, this is the
oldest one in the book. He took a nap, brought
the three year old in his bed room with him,
but it woke three hours later and Elijah was gone.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
Right.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
What more do we know about the case?
Speaker 1 (12:10):
Joining me is Mike Hadseel, President founder Peace River Canine
Search and Rescue. Do you remember when Kelly Anthony was
found She was murdered by her mother, tot mom Casey Anthony.
She was wrapped and her favorite I believe it was
a Disney princess could have been a Winnie the Pooh blanket.
(12:33):
She had that with her, and you know what, that's
a sign of Mike hadseel that someone connected to the
child killed and Barry disposed of the child because the
child has a personal belonging with the child when it
is discarded or disposed. Mike hadseel, what should the search
(12:56):
be encompassing? This is cold, it's in two rivers, Wisconsin.
There's bodies of water. You hear that they're out, boots
on the ground. They've been walking the neighborhoods. They've searched
the water wasys. I don't know to what extent. Have
they used sonar? Have they used divers to meet waterways?
(13:16):
Or a forest would be an obvious choice to dispose
of a child.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
I'm still praying he's alive. Mike Hatzill, where is he?
Speaker 10 (13:23):
Well, you have two options on this, So we have
to want to assume that he's alive and he ran away.
So if you did that Chile, children of that age
don't wander far from home. They just want to get
out of site because they want to scare the parent
and you know, shake things up. And so usually we
find that within a half a mile of the house,
usually near a structure, another apartment building or sheds, things
(13:45):
like that. That's usually where we locate him because you're
going to try to stay warm. On the other side,
if something infurious happened and the child was murdered or
died for some reason, they decided to dispose of the remains,
he's going to be Oh gosh, where are you going
to start. I mean, there's so much wooded area around there.
(14:07):
There's a lot of rivers. The easiest disposal, of course,
would be in the rivers. One of the disturbing facts
that came up was the shoe that was found in
one of the dumpsters that they say may belong to
the child, which I do believe led to the landfill
search that they were working on. If that's happened, then
they're going to have to move quickly because the remains
won't last long and that landfill.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
You know, Mike Hatsel, everything you said is perfectly correct, but.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Horrible.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Aisha Morales w b A Y TV two, Please tell
me about the landfill search.
Speaker 7 (14:44):
Sure, So, as soon as they were told that the shoe,
like you said, the shoe was there was found, they
initiated that landfill search. I remember that day and our
partner Station Milwaukee was able to get aerial shots of that.
Speaker 8 (15:02):
They had love.
Speaker 7 (15:04):
They had people searching, investigators there, it didn't seem to
amount to much. We haven't actually spoken about the landfill search.
It's been nothing but people the community searching. But as
far as the landfill, we have not heard anything about
what they possibly found if they continued to search. But
even after a day, it was kind of quiet at
(15:26):
the landfill.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
To i Asha Morales w ba Y TV too, where
is that landfill as it relates to where the boyfriend
was keeping Elijah.
Speaker 7 (15:38):
It shouldn't be too far away. I think it's within
the same hour or so for the county. But that's
just it. There could be multiple landfills too. I know
that some people were mentioning that trash day, you know.
Speaker 8 (15:53):
So that was uncertain.
Speaker 7 (15:55):
The thing is is that there is a lot of
miss that leads to some of these searches and landfill.
Speaker 8 (16:02):
The landfill included in that.
Speaker 7 (16:04):
So I was seeing in a group on Facebook that
a lot of people were.
Speaker 8 (16:08):
Chatting about the shoe.
Speaker 7 (16:09):
We're chatting about trash Day, and a lot of those
tips led to the landfill search.
Speaker 8 (16:14):
But it's not too far from that area.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
Why in the world what a woman picked this guy
with mugshots dating back for years to quote discipline her child,
Aisha Morales.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
What's on his rap sheet?
Speaker 7 (16:30):
There's a lot of different charges including child abuse for sure,
fleeing an officer. You guys have in possession of cocaine,
drug bail jumping, lots of disorderly conduct type of charges,
but child abuse is on there.
Speaker 8 (16:46):
So that was one of the first things that we
noticed as well.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
Child abuse, fleeing officer, manufacturing, deliver, possession cocaine. That's cocaine
with intent to distribute. That's a major felony. Resisting an officer,
possession cocaine, resisting in officer, bell jumping DC and DUI.
And that's who is going to take care of your child?
Joining me right now, special guests from childhelp dot org.
(17:13):
If you haven't seen it or heard of it, go
online child help one word dot org. Megan Crime is
joining us. Director of Communications, Megan. Do you know how
many millions of people would have paid sixty seventy eighty
one hundred thousand dollars to buy adopt a little boy
(17:37):
like Elijah Vu, But yet these two keep him and
did you see what they did to quote, discipline him,
make him stand for hours on end, saying I'm sorry, mommy,
I'm sorry, mommy, I'm sorry, mommy, I'm sorry, mummy. Forced
to take coal showers, stand for hours on end, stay
(17:59):
in a dirty dipe band from playing with the only
toy he had at Vang's house, a tool kit, because
he was on quote extended time out. Megan crying, I
don't understand with all of these mugshots, all of these offenses,
somehow this little angel was.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
Born and then he goes missing.
Speaker 6 (18:23):
Yes, it's heartbreaking, and you wonder we have seen those
beautiful photos of Elijah. You know, it didn't seem like
he was always abuse right, like he was in that
little car, he had his second birthday cake.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
He was well dressed. So it just wonders what happened. No,
I'm sorry.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
I rarely disagree with you, Megan Crime, but I do
now remember the Turpen family in the house of hers,
where the mother and father would dress them up and matching.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
They were like eight or nine of them.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
There were a lot of children and they would be
dressed up in matching outfits. And I mean the whole shebang,
matching t shirts, catching bows, matching dresses, all these photos
of them at Disney at various functions.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
But yet when they went home, they.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Were shackled to the bed, starved, tortured with.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
Putting food in front of them but not letting them eat.
There were scratch marks.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
On the inside of a closet bedroom door where they
wanted in a closet trying to get out, put in
a dark closet.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
Chaye.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
They had thirteen children, called the House of Harrison.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
They looked great on the outside.
Speaker 6 (19:35):
Yeah, putting on a show for everyone else to make
people think that you're a wonderful parent, and parenting can
be is hard, and we have there's so many resources
out there, and as somebody, if you see something, if
you know if I just find it also hard to
believe that nobody thought anything was going on with Elijah
when he's getting shipped off to his mom's boyfriends for
(19:58):
discipline at three years.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
I wonder if I wonder if anybody else even knew
about it. Guys, we're to the point now where police
are begging the public for help. A little bit more
from Chief Minor.
Speaker 4 (20:11):
Listen, this child was three years old, and was reported
missing a whole winter temperature day with only a blanket
and possibly lay clothing, and we knew at that time
possibly three to four hours. I define that as in dager.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
You darn right it's in danger. But now I want
you to hear about what led up to the nine
one one missing call. Take us to Nicole Parton Crime Online.
Speaker 11 (20:36):
February twenty ten, fifty nine am Jesse Vain calls nine
to one one to report the three year old boy
he cares for is missing. Vain says he fell asleep
caring for Elijah Vu at eight am, and when he
woke up at just before eleven am, Elijah was gone.
He is last seen wearing gray sweatpants, a long sleeved
(20:58):
dark colored shirt, and red and green dinosaurs slip on shoes.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Thomas E. Fisher joining me.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Former Milwaukee p Day now runs his own PI. Tom,
have you ever noticed how many children just disappear while
mommy or daddy's sleeping.
Speaker 9 (21:16):
Yeah, that doesn't happen too often. No, I've seen cases
like that over the years, but it's usually something else
that occurred.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
A lie.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
Yes, why this guy, out of all the men in
the universe? She picks this one to discipline her child. Okay,
that said police asking for help. Take a listen to
Rachel Bonia crime online.
Speaker 12 (21:43):
The search continues for Elijah Vu, with many in the
public asking how a three year old can leave an
apartment and go missing on his own. The local police
ask for help at the state and federal level, and
soon the FBI are on hand to help. Local and
regional groups use boats to search. Rivers and streams will
are conducted with drones. Canine units are brought in for
(22:03):
searches on land. But three year old Elijah is still missing.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
And family is pleading for help. Listen on behalf of
my family.
Speaker 13 (22:14):
We stay in before you to day with having hearts
burden fund an unmanageable situation.
Speaker 9 (22:21):
The pain is indescribable, a torrent.
Speaker 13 (22:24):
No family or childsh with over face.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
We cannot express the death of our sorrow, nor the
desperation that comes.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
From us as each moment passes without moves of eliges safety.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
To anyone who may have information about Elijah's where else,
We plead with you to police come forward.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
Your courage, your compassion, your willingness to speak of may
hold a key to eligis safety. You're hearing Elijah's aunt
is certainly not his mother or boyfriend asking for help.
Wonder why, Wonder why they aren't asking for him to
be found.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
That's a whole other can of worms.
Speaker 1 (23:12):
But now take a listen to what actually happened to
Elijah Vue while he was at his boot camp with
the convicted felon. Listen to Dave matt Crime Online.
Speaker 14 (23:24):
Elijah's mother is thirty one year old Katrina Bauer, but
she wasn't watching her son at the time he went missing.
Bauer's boyfriend, thirty nine year old Jesse Wang, has been
taking care of the boy. Bauer says she's letting Jesse
Bang discipline Elijah vu helping to teach him to be
a man. The three year old is not potty trained
and still takes a bottle, but Vang puts him in
(23:46):
time out when he disobeys an order. Jesse Fang explains
time out as a time where the three year old
must stand in one place and repeat I'm sorry, mommy.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
As you will recall. An ambrol or was issue for
Elijah view of two Rivers. Wisconsin wild Cops said at
the time they thought he was in imminent danger. There
was never any description of a potential suspect or vehicle.
Maybe Elijah three feet tall, only weighs about forty five pounds,
(24:19):
blonde hair, brown eyes.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
He has a.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
Birthmark on his left knee, and he was last seen
wearing gray sweatpants, a dark long sleeved shirt, and red
and green dinosaur slippers. He may be carrying his favorite
plaid blanket.
Speaker 2 (24:38):
Just so you know.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
The tip line is eight four four to six seven
sixty six four eight repeat eight four four two six
seven sixty six four eight. Darryl question to you, do
you think just go with me on this, what's the
likelihood that these two the mommy and her convicted fellon
(24:59):
boyfrien friend were torturing the boy in his boot camp
disciplinary eight days and then somebody else came in and
abducted him. Do you really think statistically that's even possible?
Speaker 3 (25:18):
No, Nancy, it's not. But on the other hand, what
are we talking about torture? Is it extreme discipline? Is
this really torture? Do you think his mom or his
quote mom's boyfriend would torture him? They were wrong in
what they did, but that's not torture, And could he
have wandered out on his own. Of course he could.
(25:40):
It happens. Unfortunately all the time, close your eyes, turn
your head, and your child is gone. That can happen. Now.
Why she didn't report it earlier? Who knows. Maybe she
was hoping they could find him, maybe thinking a self
search would make him available. But that doesn't make it tore.
(26:00):
And that doesn't mean that she knew that the boyfriend
had been arrested so many times. And if you notice,
his last major arrests other than DUI was almost twenty
years ago. So I think you're making this worse than
it is for these two people. As the evidence unfolds,
will see but I can't prejudge them. I don't see
(26:21):
her as a good mother, but I don't here as.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
A torture either, Darryl. I don't give a flying fig
about these two people. I don't care what happens to them.
You're right about that. I don't care.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
I want to find this boy and it's their fault.
And how you with a straight face. I know you're
a defense attorney, but that said, with a straight face,
say it's not torture to force a child to stand
in the corner for hours and hours repeating Bible verses
and I'm sorry, mommy, you don't think that's torture because
(26:54):
I do jump in.
Speaker 2 (26:56):
How do you know.
Speaker 3 (26:57):
That's the truth. How do you know that what you
hear is a who really made him do that? Who
told you this? Where do we gather this evidence? Let's
not prejudge these people.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
You know what. Let's ask the reporter, Aisha Morales, where's
the where's that knowledge coming from?
Speaker 2 (27:12):
Aisha.
Speaker 7 (27:13):
It's hard because we have a whole timeline dating back
as far as November so Thanksgiving at the end of
the year twenty twenty three. That's when Bauer told her
boyfriend about here that far. And then you're talking about
the days that led up to Elijah's disappearance or what
(27:35):
we're told is this disappearance. What was reported February fourteenth
is when Bauer eventually told investigator she was in two rivers.
Speaker 8 (27:43):
That's where Elijah went missing for a period of time.
Speaker 7 (27:46):
And then the thing is that we haven't really mentioned
a whole lot is that she would go back and
forth between two rivers, checking in on Elijah, who is
getting this discipline according to this chrominal complaint from her boyfriend.
And then she go back to Wisconsin Dell's which Nancy
It's about three hours away, so she was not very.
Speaker 8 (28:06):
Close to her son at the time.
Speaker 7 (28:08):
There was the February fourteenth, February six Jey nineteen. Vang
says he was punishing Elijah by making him stand near
him while he watched a movie.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
Before Derrek Cohen. His last bust was in twenty twenty three.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
That was last year. It wasn't that long ago.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
And as far as DUI, but I don't care if
you sold cocaine yesterday or ten years ago. You're not
babysitting for my children. Bam, there there you go. And
as far as where are we getting the information.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
Right now, the mom and the.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
Boyfriend are sitting behind bars on other charges related to
mistreating this child.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
The mother, thirty one year old Katrina.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
Bauer, arrested two days after Elijah goes missing, charge with felony,
child neglect and obstructing police. Currently unemployed. Surprise, Jesse Vang,
the lover he's behind bars right now too, and he
is charged with mistreating the child as well. So what
(29:21):
do you mean where am I getting my information? I'm
getting my information from what the cops put and an
arrest warrant. So are you doing the whole oj Simpson defense.
The cops are lying, The cops planted the evidence. It's
a big conspiracy.
Speaker 3 (29:36):
The cops made the arrest. The police made the arrest.
That doesn't mean the information they made the arrest on
is accurate. Where did it come from?
Speaker 2 (29:45):
Guys? We are trying to help.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
Find Elijah view a three year old little boy. The
tip line is eight four four two six seven six
six four eight And speaking of what the pair Yes,
and there's a sixteen thousand dollars reward. As a matter
of fact, let's take a listen to Chief being Minor
describing that reward.
Speaker 4 (30:09):
Today, the FBI has now provided an additional reward up
to fifteen thousand dollars for information leading to the location,
in return of Elijah Boog and or the arresting conviction
of any individual or individuals responsible or involved with his disappearance.
Speaker 1 (30:44):
A no good Wisconsin mother lease or a three year
old little boy, Elijah with a boyfriend with a rap sheet.
As long as the interstate to quote learn to be
a man with the boyfriend. This boyfriend is going to
teach to be a man. Well, guess what now that
boyfriend is standing trial in the case of missing Elijah.
(31:07):
In the months his baby Elijah goes missing, police uncover
alleged mistreatment at the hands of both of these ghules.
I find that really disingenuous. Thomas Fisher, former Milwaukee PD
now private eye to say they weren't torturing this child,
and where do you get the information?
Speaker 2 (31:27):
And the police are probably lying out.
Speaker 3 (31:30):
That the police are lying.
Speaker 9 (31:32):
You know, you get this type of information through deacon
statements from the individuals involved, if you're talking to other
people that have knowledge of what's going on, or may
have some knowledge of what's going on.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
To sit out here.
Speaker 9 (31:44):
And see the police are lying and putting this in
a criminal complaint, you know that doesn't fly. The parents
are just said they're two terrible people, and what we
need to do is this criminal justice system take care
of them down the line.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
But right now we need to find that child.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
I want to go back to Mike Catshill joining us
from Peace River Canine Search and Rescue. Mike, I know
that there has been a as I issue described it
a landfill search that cooled off, But at this juncture,
don't you think starting at the apartment complex and going
out with canines would be helpful.
Speaker 10 (32:25):
It was in the first couple of weeks after the investment,
after the child I'm missing, we wouldn't use the canines
at that point. However, the weather doesn't play well to canines.
When the temperature drops down below thirty two degrees and
into those lower temperatures, the dogs become ineffective because there's
just not enough odoor available for the dogs to work properly.
Speaker 3 (32:46):
So you have to wait for the good weather date.
Speaker 2 (32:48):
What do you mean by that, well, frickidaver dog.
Speaker 10 (32:50):
You have to have at least thirty eight degrees to
get the dogs work well.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
Take your freezer at home.
Speaker 10 (32:55):
You put the meat in the freezer of the meat freezers,
it doesn't smell anymore. Same problem with human remains in
the fields.
Speaker 3 (33:03):
You've got to wait for it.
Speaker 10 (33:04):
At least get up over thirty eight degrees for the
dogs to be able to work effectively. They may bump
into something. If you're doing a tight grid, you might
get lucky. But even in the water work, if the
water's too cold, it's going to be hard to get
odor up for the dogs to be effective. So that's
one thing they were using helicopters are using drones, if
they're using thermal camera cameras, which I'm assuming they were
(33:26):
thermal drones. The temperature between If the boys alive, you're
going to get a really good heat signature from that.
If the boys remains are out there, again we have
to look at the lapse rate when it was warm
versus when it was cold. Can we still find remains?
So if it's you know, it has a lot to
do with the weather. And unfortunately up there in Wisconsin
(33:46):
they're having a.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
Wild winter this year.
Speaker 10 (33:48):
It's sixty five degrees one day and twelve degrees the next,
so it's interesting to see how well they would be
able to find it. Landfill searches as you brought them up,
it may have cooled down on that Because landfill searches
are a nightmare and they take a lot of manpower
and a lot of time to do them effectively. You
basically have to take all the trash out from that day,
(34:09):
You have to spread it out in sections. You have
to have about twenty people to go through it all
and along with the cadaver dogs to try to look
and find what you're looking for. So it's a very
expensive and labor intensive thing, which is probably why I
cooled off, because they don't want to spend the money
right now to do it until they're really sure that
they have nothing else to look at.
Speaker 1 (34:29):
The grandmother of three year old Elijah vu View has
spoken out emotional crying, begging to help find Elijah View.
This three year old boy was reported missing Fab twenty
by Jesse Vang, the boyfriend of Elijah's mother, who told
(34:52):
police she had sent her son, her three year old,
to stay with Vang so he could teach the three
year old boy quote how to be a man that
is in the criminal complaint filed at the county level.
Than then tells police he was taking a nap and miraculously,
(35:14):
coincidentally oddly wakes up to find the baby is gone.
Now both Vang and View's mother, Katrina Bauer, have been
in lock up on charges of child neglect. The family
is begging. A child missing, says Chief Ben Minor for
(35:38):
any amount of time is every parent's worst nightmare. Hundreds
of resources have been used in the search. Drones, helicopters,
k nines all used across the entire county and beyond
Aisha Morales. When the Chief says county, and beyond where
(35:58):
else are they looking?
Speaker 7 (36:00):
They have been going now in multiple counties. It's not
just where he went missing. It is now even as
far as the Milwaukee area, even into central Wisconsin, which
is about three hours away where Bauer herself was going
back and forth from. So she was from what it
seems according to this complaint, she was not there that day.
(36:21):
She was there the days before, but not that day
that he went missing. So because she was in Wisconsin
Dell three hours three hours away, and they have resources elsewhere,
they're just searching far beyond where he went missing in
that neighborhood.
Speaker 2 (36:38):
I know this the county sheare of.
Speaker 1 (36:41):
Van Hartwig closed his press conference in the final plate
to the public and was fighting back tears as a
thought of this missing three year old boy. There is
now a sixteen thousand dollar reward in the search for
three year old Elijah Vue.
Speaker 13 (37:03):
To think with his child endured before he was killed,
I mean, do we really think he's still alive? We
wait as justice unfolds, the trials looming, I fully expect
additional charges.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
Goodbye friend,
Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. Do you remember the name
Elijah View?
Speaker 2 (00:10):
I do.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Elijah is a three year old Wisconsin boy who seemingly
vanished in February. In the last hours, a bombshell development
in the case of three year old Elijah View. I'm
Nancy Grace. This is Crime Stories. Thanks for being with
us here at Crime Stories and on Sirius x one eleven.
(00:32):
In the last hours, Elijah View's mother's boyfriend ordered to
stand trial on neglect. According to reports, the boyfriend was
the one caring for the three year old taught when
he seemingly vanished into thin air. After hearing testimony from
two law enforcement officers, a county judge rules there is
(00:56):
enough evidence to move forward with the case against thirty
nine year old Jesse Vang and baby Elijah View's disappearance.
The judge also wisely denied a defense motion to drop
the case against Vang. Boy, they got a lot of
nerve asking the judge to throw the case out.
Speaker 2 (01:15):
Uh uh.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
The two Rivers, Wisconsin man formally charged in February with
one felony count of party to a crime child neglect
in Elijah's disappearance. Now Vang is the boyfriend of Elijah's mother,
if you can call her that, Katrina Bower of Wisconsin
Dell's who was charged also in February with one felony
(01:39):
count of party to a crime child neglect, two counts
resisting or obstructing an officer. Now, as you recall, little
Elijah was last seen at a residence in Two Rivers,
thirty miles southeast of Green Bay, where Bower, thirty one,
left her son to stay with Vang with a long
(02:01):
criminal history, because she wanted to teach the youngster at
the little boy three years old to quote be a man.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
Really.
Speaker 1 (02:12):
First of all, I want you to hear what we
know right now from the police chief.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
Listen, this child.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
Was three years old and was reported missing a cold
winter temperature day with only a blanket and possibly light clothing,
and we knew at that time possibly three to four hours.
I define that as endangered.
Speaker 5 (02:37):
I immediately reached out, with the assistance of my staff,
to the Division of Criminal Investigation.
Speaker 3 (02:44):
This is not about me.
Speaker 4 (02:45):
This has always been about bringing Elijah home.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
And quickly they.
Speaker 4 (02:49):
Led that investigation into his wareboats with the support of
our FBI. We also utilized almost any bullet U TV
Drone Kean and even National Guard pelicachleers to search for Elijah.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
Unfortunately, Elijah wasn't.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
With me an all star panel to make sense of
what we know right now. But first to Aisha Morales
joining us WBAYTV two out of Green Bay.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
Aisha, thank you for being with us.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
I want to talk about, first of all, when did
he go missing?
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Go missing? And when was he reported missing?
Speaker 1 (03:31):
What do we know, Aisha, because those two moments in
time could be very, very different.
Speaker 6 (03:37):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (03:37):
So initially when we got these reports, we were learning
that it was February twentieth, so a week ago yesterday,
February twentieth. From what we know now with the criminal complaints,
there is a discrepancy, and we reported on that here
in Green Bay and talking about how Vang initially told
police that he went missing around eleven eight on February twentieth,
(04:02):
and then the story did change a little bit, and
now we know that he actually went missing around eight am.
And as you know, any minute a child is gone,
it matters. And so there was that first discrepancy with
regards to the time that he disappeared, or at least
the time that he was reported missing by Van himself.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
Hold on, so one report he was missing, he was
gone at eight am on Feb twenty.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
What was the other time? I didn't get that? When
was that?
Speaker 8 (04:34):
Eleven am? Was the initial report?
Speaker 1 (04:36):
Feb twenty is a Tuesday. I'm trying to figure out.
So there's a big discrepancy between eleven am and eight am,
and a lot of people may think, oh, that's just
four hours.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Let me tell you something.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Somebody's driving sixty miles an hour times four, that's two
hundred and forty miles before he's reported missing. And I've
got another problem with that. Let me go out to
Thomas E. Fisher joining us former Milwaukee PD police detective,
now owner of Thomas Fisher Investigations dot com.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Thomas, thank you for being with us. I have a
problem with that because I.
Speaker 1 (05:17):
Can tell you right now what time my children wake
up in the morning. My daughter gets up at six
five am, my son gets up at seven five am.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
And I know they're up because I go and check
on them.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
So how can you, at the best, Thomas Fisher, how
can you not know where your child is for four
hours between eight three hours between eight and eleven if
they're in the home right there, I.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Got a problem.
Speaker 9 (05:53):
That's a very good point. Basically, you have somebody that
was not watching this child or support of this trailed
someplace else. Based on what we know and what the
investigation has revealed to date, is that he was disciplined.
Disciplined that should not be given to a three year old.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
Well, you know, Thomas Fisher, you are the former Milwaukee
police and detective and you are the owner, let me say,
a highly successful private investigative firm. But you left out
another glaring possibility.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
They're lying. You said either they weren't.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Watching them or something about the time discrepancy, or they're lying.
And can I just point out to you, Daryl Cohen,
jumping off what Fisher just said. You're the former prosecutor
now veteran defense attorney, Darryl Cohen, what do you do?
How do you explain that to a jury, if there
(06:54):
ever is one, how you weren't watching your child in
your own home.
Speaker 2 (06:57):
I mean, it's not that hard in your own home
to know where.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
Your child is for three hours. Coincidentally, on the very
day he goes missing. A three year old shouldn't be
out of your site.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
Darryl Nancy at the age of three, he or she
in this case, he doesn't have to be out of
your sight for you to know where he is, because
you hear the noises that he's making, the absolute chaos
that comes with a three year old. So you don't
explain that to a jury. You have to keep your
damn big mouth shut and not say anything. But it's
(07:33):
really sad that he has disappeared, and we hope that
he will be located and located, alive and located. Okay,
there's no excuse for parenting the way she is trying
to do it. It's non parenting. It's prosecutable nonparenting. You don't
have to see your child. Just because you think your
(07:54):
child's in the house doesn't mean he is in the house.
You can be in the kitchen, he may or may
not be in his bedroom. You don't have to look
at him all of the time, you don't have to
hear him all of the time, you don't have to
be with him all the time, and suddenly when you
go look for him, he's not there. That's reasonable, that's explainable.
(08:15):
It's something that you have to deal with.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Daryl Conin, where exactly did you go to law school?
Speaker 3 (08:20):
I think the same place you did. That's probably a Macon.
Speaker 1 (08:24):
Georgia for an NYU because obviously you didn't get the
class on BS technical legal term. Good luck telling that
to you a jury. You don't have to see your
child to know that he's okay, and you know it's
a miracle. I've met your daughters, beautiful, It's a miracle
they grew up safe and sound and apparently sane when
(08:46):
daddy didn't know where they were half the time. Let's
get back on this case. I'm wandering for a field.
I want to hear more of what the police have
to say about their search efforts, and think about it.
A three year old little boy Wbay and Thomas Fisher.
Speaker 2 (09:03):
Want to eat side of Milwaukee.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
What were the temperatures around this time feb twenty Tuesday morning,
eight a m. Or eleven, depending on what the parents
feel like saying at that.
Speaker 2 (09:14):
Moment, But what was the temp? How cold is it there?
Speaker 7 (09:17):
It was a mild day actually in comparison to other
February days. We do remember that, but we also know
that he is forty five pounds or so, so anything
below fifty degrees forty degrees, even though it's mild for
Wisconsin standards, it was still pretty chilly. You would need
a jacket or at least a co and he didn't,
from what I understand, didn't have that.
Speaker 1 (09:38):
Okay, wait a minute. You call thirty degrees mild. We
do here in Wisconsin. Okay, I understand that where I'm from,
that is like you're in the Antarctic at thirty degrees. Okay,
So for me, thirty degrees is cold, and I'm wondering
how that would have affected this child hypothermia. Why, but
(10:00):
I'm opening up a whole other can worms. Let's get
back to the search. Listen again to police Chaef be
in my heart.
Speaker 5 (10:06):
Those leads, those investigations, everything we've taken as tips have led.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
To searching our neighborhoods, searching all.
Speaker 5 (10:14):
Our waterways, foot canvases, both urban and rural, throughout Manitoua
County and even beyond. We've searched Wisconsin land and buies,
and we've even had additional leads in Wisconsin.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
Does In addition to all those search efforts, I amost
other investigations taking place. I can confirm Elijah's mother, Katrina Bower,
is in jail. I'm charges of child neglect and obstructing.
(10:52):
Katrina's boyfriend, Jesse Bang is in jail on charges of
child neglect and I do know Elijah's father has also
been incarcerated at Ashkosh Correctional Institute in unrelated matters since
twenty twenty three.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
Welcome back in the Last Hour's Mommy's Living is ordered
to stand trial and the disappearance of a three year
old Wisconsin boy, Elijah view the mother again that just
sticks in my throat to call her that Katrina Bauer
sent her talk to this convicted felon to quote teach
(11:45):
him to be a man thang. The boyfriend calls police
and reports Elijah missing, telling cops, oh, this is the
oldest one in the book. He took a nap, brought
the three year old in his bed room with him,
but it woke three hours later and Elijah was gone.
Speaker 3 (12:06):
Right.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
What more do we know about the case?
Speaker 1 (12:10):
Joining me is Mike Hadseel, President founder Peace River Canine
Search and Rescue. Do you remember when Kelly Anthony was
found She was murdered by her mother, tot mom Casey Anthony.
She was wrapped and her favorite I believe it was
a Disney princess could have been a Winnie the Pooh blanket.
(12:33):
She had that with her, and you know what, that's
a sign of Mike hadseel that someone connected to the
child killed and Barry disposed of the child because the
child has a personal belonging with the child when it
is discarded or disposed. Mike hadseel, what should the search
(12:56):
be encompassing? This is cold, it's in two rivers, Wisconsin.
There's bodies of water. You hear that they're out, boots
on the ground. They've been walking the neighborhoods. They've searched
the water wasys. I don't know to what extent. Have
they used sonar? Have they used divers to meet waterways?
(13:16):
Or a forest would be an obvious choice to dispose
of a child.
Speaker 2 (13:20):
I'm still praying he's alive. Mike Hatzill, where is he?
Speaker 10 (13:23):
Well, you have two options on this, So we have
to want to assume that he's alive and he ran away.
So if you did that Chile, children of that age
don't wander far from home. They just want to get
out of site because they want to scare the parent
and you know, shake things up. And so usually we
find that within a half a mile of the house,
usually near a structure, another apartment building or sheds, things
(13:45):
like that. That's usually where we locate him because you're
going to try to stay warm. On the other side,
if something infurious happened and the child was murdered or
died for some reason, they decided to dispose of the remains,
he's going to be Oh gosh, where are you going
to start. I mean, there's so much wooded area around there.
(14:07):
There's a lot of rivers. The easiest disposal, of course,
would be in the rivers. One of the disturbing facts
that came up was the shoe that was found in
one of the dumpsters that they say may belong to
the child, which I do believe led to the landfill
search that they were working on. If that's happened, then
they're going to have to move quickly because the remains
won't last long and that landfill.
Speaker 1 (14:28):
You know, Mike Hatsel, everything you said is perfectly correct, but.
Speaker 2 (14:36):
Horrible.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Aisha Morales w b A Y TV two, Please tell
me about the landfill search.
Speaker 7 (14:44):
Sure, So, as soon as they were told that the shoe,
like you said, the shoe was there was found, they
initiated that landfill search. I remember that day and our
partner Station Milwaukee was able to get aerial shots of that.
Speaker 8 (15:02):
They had love.
Speaker 7 (15:04):
They had people searching, investigators there, it didn't seem to
amount to much. We haven't actually spoken about the landfill search.
It's been nothing but people the community searching. But as
far as the landfill, we have not heard anything about
what they possibly found if they continued to search. But
even after a day, it was kind of quiet at
(15:26):
the landfill.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
To i Asha Morales w ba Y TV too, where
is that landfill as it relates to where the boyfriend
was keeping Elijah.
Speaker 7 (15:38):
It shouldn't be too far away. I think it's within
the same hour or so for the county. But that's
just it. There could be multiple landfills too. I know
that some people were mentioning that trash day, you know.
Speaker 8 (15:53):
So that was uncertain.
Speaker 7 (15:55):
The thing is is that there is a lot of
miss that leads to some of these searches and landfill.
Speaker 8 (16:02):
The landfill included in that.
Speaker 7 (16:04):
So I was seeing in a group on Facebook that
a lot of people were.
Speaker 8 (16:08):
Chatting about the shoe.
Speaker 7 (16:09):
We're chatting about trash Day, and a lot of those
tips led to the landfill search.
Speaker 8 (16:14):
But it's not too far from that area.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
Why in the world what a woman picked this guy
with mugshots dating back for years to quote discipline her child,
Aisha Morales.
Speaker 2 (16:29):
What's on his rap sheet?
Speaker 7 (16:30):
There's a lot of different charges including child abuse for sure,
fleeing an officer. You guys have in possession of cocaine,
drug bail jumping, lots of disorderly conduct type of charges,
but child abuse is on there.
Speaker 8 (16:46):
So that was one of the first things that we
noticed as well.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
Child abuse, fleeing officer, manufacturing, deliver, possession cocaine. That's cocaine
with intent to distribute. That's a major felony. Resisting an officer,
possession cocaine, resisting in officer, bell jumping DC and DUI.
And that's who is going to take care of your child?
Joining me right now, special guests from childhelp dot org.
(17:13):
If you haven't seen it or heard of it, go
online child help one word dot org. Megan Crime is
joining us. Director of Communications, Megan. Do you know how
many millions of people would have paid sixty seventy eighty
one hundred thousand dollars to buy adopt a little boy
(17:37):
like Elijah Vu, But yet these two keep him and
did you see what they did to quote, discipline him,
make him stand for hours on end, saying I'm sorry, mommy,
I'm sorry, mommy, I'm sorry, mommy, I'm sorry, mummy. Forced
to take coal showers, stand for hours on end, stay
(17:59):
in a dirty dipe band from playing with the only
toy he had at Vang's house, a tool kit, because
he was on quote extended time out. Megan crying, I
don't understand with all of these mugshots, all of these offenses,
somehow this little angel was.
Speaker 2 (18:19):
Born and then he goes missing.
Speaker 6 (18:23):
Yes, it's heartbreaking, and you wonder we have seen those
beautiful photos of Elijah. You know, it didn't seem like
he was always abuse right, like he was in that
little car, he had his second birthday cake.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
He was well dressed. So it just wonders what happened. No,
I'm sorry.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
I rarely disagree with you, Megan Crime, but I do
now remember the Turpen family in the house of hers,
where the mother and father would dress them up and matching.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
They were like eight or nine of them.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
There were a lot of children and they would be
dressed up in matching outfits. And I mean the whole shebang,
matching t shirts, catching bows, matching dresses, all these photos
of them at Disney at various functions.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
But yet when they went home, they.
Speaker 1 (19:10):
Were shackled to the bed, starved, tortured with.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
Putting food in front of them but not letting them eat.
There were scratch marks.
Speaker 1 (19:20):
On the inside of a closet bedroom door where they
wanted in a closet trying to get out, put in
a dark closet.
Speaker 2 (19:31):
Chaye.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
They had thirteen children, called the House of Harrison.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
They looked great on the outside.
Speaker 6 (19:35):
Yeah, putting on a show for everyone else to make
people think that you're a wonderful parent, and parenting can
be is hard, and we have there's so many resources
out there, and as somebody, if you see something, if
you know if I just find it also hard to
believe that nobody thought anything was going on with Elijah
when he's getting shipped off to his mom's boyfriends for
(19:58):
discipline at three years.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
I wonder if I wonder if anybody else even knew
about it. Guys, we're to the point now where police
are begging the public for help. A little bit more
from Chief Minor.
Speaker 4 (20:11):
Listen, this child was three years old, and was reported
missing a whole winter temperature day with only a blanket
and possibly lay clothing, and we knew at that time
possibly three to four hours. I define that as in dager.
Speaker 1 (20:27):
You darn right it's in danger. But now I want
you to hear about what led up to the nine
one one missing call. Take us to Nicole Parton Crime Online.
Speaker 11 (20:36):
February twenty ten, fifty nine am Jesse Vain calls nine
to one one to report the three year old boy
he cares for is missing. Vain says he fell asleep
caring for Elijah Vu at eight am, and when he
woke up at just before eleven am, Elijah was gone.
He is last seen wearing gray sweatpants, a long sleeved
(20:58):
dark colored shirt, and red and green dinosaurs slip on shoes.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Thomas E. Fisher joining me.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Former Milwaukee p Day now runs his own PI. Tom,
have you ever noticed how many children just disappear while
mommy or daddy's sleeping.
Speaker 9 (21:16):
Yeah, that doesn't happen too often. No, I've seen cases
like that over the years, but it's usually something else
that occurred.
Speaker 2 (21:27):
A lie.
Speaker 1 (21:27):
Yes, why this guy, out of all the men in
the universe? She picks this one to discipline her child. Okay,
that said police asking for help. Take a listen to
Rachel Bonia crime online.
Speaker 12 (21:43):
The search continues for Elijah Vu, with many in the
public asking how a three year old can leave an
apartment and go missing on his own. The local police
ask for help at the state and federal level, and
soon the FBI are on hand to help. Local and
regional groups use boats to search. Rivers and streams will
are conducted with drones. Canine units are brought in for
(22:03):
searches on land. But three year old Elijah is still missing.
Speaker 2 (22:07):
And family is pleading for help. Listen on behalf of
my family.
Speaker 13 (22:14):
We stay in before you to day with having hearts
burden fund an unmanageable situation.
Speaker 9 (22:21):
The pain is indescribable, a torrent.
Speaker 13 (22:24):
No family or childsh with over face.
Speaker 1 (22:27):
We cannot express the death of our sorrow, nor the
desperation that comes.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
From us as each moment passes without moves of eliges safety.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
To anyone who may have information about Elijah's where else,
We plead with you to police come forward.
Speaker 1 (22:50):
Your courage, your compassion, your willingness to speak of may
hold a key to eligis safety. You're hearing Elijah's aunt
is certainly not his mother or boyfriend asking for help.
Wonder why, Wonder why they aren't asking for him to
be found.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
That's a whole other can of worms.
Speaker 1 (23:12):
But now take a listen to what actually happened to
Elijah Vue while he was at his boot camp with
the convicted felon. Listen to Dave matt Crime Online.
Speaker 14 (23:24):
Elijah's mother is thirty one year old Katrina Bauer, but
she wasn't watching her son at the time he went missing.
Bauer's boyfriend, thirty nine year old Jesse Wang, has been
taking care of the boy. Bauer says she's letting Jesse
Bang discipline Elijah vu helping to teach him to be
a man. The three year old is not potty trained
and still takes a bottle, but Vang puts him in
(23:46):
time out when he disobeys an order. Jesse Fang explains
time out as a time where the three year old
must stand in one place and repeat I'm sorry, mommy.
Speaker 1 (23:56):
As you will recall. An ambrol or was issue for
Elijah view of two Rivers. Wisconsin wild Cops said at
the time they thought he was in imminent danger. There
was never any description of a potential suspect or vehicle.
Maybe Elijah three feet tall, only weighs about forty five pounds,
(24:19):
blonde hair, brown eyes.
Speaker 2 (24:21):
He has a.
Speaker 1 (24:22):
Birthmark on his left knee, and he was last seen
wearing gray sweatpants, a dark long sleeved shirt, and red
and green dinosaur slippers. He may be carrying his favorite
plaid blanket.
Speaker 2 (24:38):
Just so you know.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
The tip line is eight four four to six seven
sixty six four eight repeat eight four four two six
seven sixty six four eight. Darryl question to you, do
you think just go with me on this, what's the
likelihood that these two the mommy and her convicted fellon
(24:59):
boyfrien friend were torturing the boy in his boot camp
disciplinary eight days and then somebody else came in and
abducted him. Do you really think statistically that's even possible?
Speaker 3 (25:18):
No, Nancy, it's not. But on the other hand, what
are we talking about torture? Is it extreme discipline? Is
this really torture? Do you think his mom or his
quote mom's boyfriend would torture him? They were wrong in
what they did, but that's not torture, And could he
have wandered out on his own. Of course he could.
(25:40):
It happens. Unfortunately all the time, close your eyes, turn
your head, and your child is gone. That can happen. Now.
Why she didn't report it earlier? Who knows. Maybe she
was hoping they could find him, maybe thinking a self
search would make him available. But that doesn't make it tore.
(26:00):
And that doesn't mean that she knew that the boyfriend
had been arrested so many times. And if you notice,
his last major arrests other than DUI was almost twenty
years ago. So I think you're making this worse than
it is for these two people. As the evidence unfolds,
will see but I can't prejudge them. I don't see
(26:21):
her as a good mother, but I don't here as.
Speaker 2 (26:23):
A torture either, Darryl. I don't give a flying fig
about these two people. I don't care what happens to them.
You're right about that. I don't care.
Speaker 1 (26:33):
I want to find this boy and it's their fault.
And how you with a straight face. I know you're
a defense attorney, but that said, with a straight face,
say it's not torture to force a child to stand
in the corner for hours and hours repeating Bible verses
and I'm sorry, mommy, you don't think that's torture because
(26:54):
I do jump in.
Speaker 2 (26:56):
How do you know.
Speaker 3 (26:57):
That's the truth. How do you know that what you
hear is a who really made him do that? Who
told you this? Where do we gather this evidence? Let's
not prejudge these people.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
You know what. Let's ask the reporter, Aisha Morales, where's
the where's that knowledge coming from?
Speaker 2 (27:12):
Aisha.
Speaker 7 (27:13):
It's hard because we have a whole timeline dating back
as far as November so Thanksgiving at the end of
the year twenty twenty three. That's when Bauer told her
boyfriend about here that far. And then you're talking about
the days that led up to Elijah's disappearance or what
(27:35):
we're told is this disappearance. What was reported February fourteenth
is when Bauer eventually told investigator she was in two rivers.
Speaker 8 (27:43):
That's where Elijah went missing for a period of time.
Speaker 7 (27:46):
And then the thing is that we haven't really mentioned
a whole lot is that she would go back and
forth between two rivers, checking in on Elijah, who is
getting this discipline according to this chrominal complaint from her boyfriend.
And then she go back to Wisconsin Dell's which Nancy
It's about three hours away, so she was not very.
Speaker 8 (28:06):
Close to her son at the time.
Speaker 7 (28:08):
There was the February fourteenth, February six Jey nineteen. Vang
says he was punishing Elijah by making him stand near
him while he watched a movie.
Speaker 1 (28:20):
Before Derrek Cohen. His last bust was in twenty twenty three.
Speaker 2 (28:25):
That was last year. It wasn't that long ago.
Speaker 1 (28:29):
And as far as DUI, but I don't care if
you sold cocaine yesterday or ten years ago. You're not
babysitting for my children. Bam, there there you go. And
as far as where are we getting the information.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
Right now, the mom and the.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
Boyfriend are sitting behind bars on other charges related to
mistreating this child.
Speaker 2 (28:58):
The mother, thirty one year old Katrina.
Speaker 1 (29:00):
Bauer, arrested two days after Elijah goes missing, charge with felony,
child neglect and obstructing police. Currently unemployed. Surprise, Jesse Vang,
the lover he's behind bars right now too, and he
is charged with mistreating the child as well. So what
(29:21):
do you mean where am I getting my information? I'm
getting my information from what the cops put and an
arrest warrant. So are you doing the whole oj Simpson defense.
The cops are lying, The cops planted the evidence. It's
a big conspiracy.
Speaker 3 (29:36):
The cops made the arrest. The police made the arrest.
That doesn't mean the information they made the arrest on
is accurate. Where did it come from?
Speaker 2 (29:45):
Guys? We are trying to help.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
Find Elijah view a three year old little boy. The
tip line is eight four four two six seven six
six four eight And speaking of what the pair Yes,
and there's a sixteen thousand dollars reward. As a matter
of fact, let's take a listen to Chief being Minor
describing that reward.
Speaker 4 (30:09):
Today, the FBI has now provided an additional reward up
to fifteen thousand dollars for information leading to the location,
in return of Elijah Boog and or the arresting conviction
of any individual or individuals responsible or involved with his disappearance.
Speaker 1 (30:44):
A no good Wisconsin mother lease or a three year
old little boy, Elijah with a boyfriend with a rap sheet.
As long as the interstate to quote learn to be
a man with the boyfriend. This boyfriend is going to
teach to be a man. Well, guess what now that
boyfriend is standing trial in the case of missing Elijah.
(31:07):
In the months his baby Elijah goes missing, police uncover
alleged mistreatment at the hands of both of these ghules.
I find that really disingenuous. Thomas Fisher, former Milwaukee PD
now private eye to say they weren't torturing this child,
and where do you get the information?
Speaker 2 (31:27):
And the police are probably lying out.
Speaker 3 (31:30):
That the police are lying.
Speaker 9 (31:32):
You know, you get this type of information through deacon
statements from the individuals involved, if you're talking to other
people that have knowledge of what's going on, or may
have some knowledge of what's going on.
Speaker 3 (31:43):
To sit out here.
Speaker 9 (31:44):
And see the police are lying and putting this in
a criminal complaint, you know that doesn't fly. The parents
are just said they're two terrible people, and what we
need to do is this criminal justice system take care
of them down the line.
Speaker 3 (32:03):
But right now we need to find that child.
Speaker 1 (32:05):
I want to go back to Mike Catshill joining us
from Peace River Canine Search and Rescue. Mike, I know
that there has been a as I issue described it
a landfill search that cooled off, But at this juncture,
don't you think starting at the apartment complex and going
out with canines would be helpful.
Speaker 10 (32:25):
It was in the first couple of weeks after the investment,
after the child I'm missing, we wouldn't use the canines
at that point. However, the weather doesn't play well to canines.
When the temperature drops down below thirty two degrees and
into those lower temperatures, the dogs become ineffective because there's
just not enough odoor available for the dogs to work properly.
Speaker 3 (32:46):
So you have to wait for the good weather date.
Speaker 2 (32:48):
What do you mean by that, well, frickidaver dog.
Speaker 10 (32:50):
You have to have at least thirty eight degrees to
get the dogs work well.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
Take your freezer at home.
Speaker 10 (32:55):
You put the meat in the freezer of the meat freezers,
it doesn't smell anymore. Same problem with human remains in
the fields.
Speaker 3 (33:03):
You've got to wait for it.
Speaker 10 (33:04):
At least get up over thirty eight degrees for the
dogs to be able to work effectively. They may bump
into something. If you're doing a tight grid, you might
get lucky. But even in the water work, if the
water's too cold, it's going to be hard to get
odor up for the dogs to be effective. So that's
one thing they were using helicopters are using drones, if
they're using thermal camera cameras, which I'm assuming they were
(33:26):
thermal drones. The temperature between If the boys alive, you're
going to get a really good heat signature from that.
If the boys remains are out there, again we have
to look at the lapse rate when it was warm
versus when it was cold. Can we still find remains?
So if it's you know, it has a lot to
do with the weather. And unfortunately up there in Wisconsin
(33:46):
they're having a.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
Wild winter this year.
Speaker 10 (33:48):
It's sixty five degrees one day and twelve degrees the next,
so it's interesting to see how well they would be
able to find it. Landfill searches as you brought them up,
it may have cooled down on that Because landfill searches
are a nightmare and they take a lot of manpower
and a lot of time to do them effectively. You
basically have to take all the trash out from that day,
(34:09):
You have to spread it out in sections. You have
to have about twenty people to go through it all
and along with the cadaver dogs to try to look
and find what you're looking for. So it's a very
expensive and labor intensive thing, which is probably why I
cooled off, because they don't want to spend the money
right now to do it until they're really sure that
they have nothing else to look at.
Speaker 1 (34:29):
The grandmother of three year old Elijah vu View has
spoken out emotional crying, begging to help find Elijah View.
This three year old boy was reported missing Fab twenty
by Jesse Vang, the boyfriend of Elijah's mother, who told
(34:52):
police she had sent her son, her three year old,
to stay with Vang so he could teach the three
year old boy quote how to be a man that
is in the criminal complaint filed at the county level.
Than then tells police he was taking a nap and miraculously,
(35:14):
coincidentally oddly wakes up to find the baby is gone.
Now both Vang and View's mother, Katrina Bauer, have been
in lock up on charges of child neglect. The family
is begging. A child missing, says Chief Ben Minor for
(35:38):
any amount of time is every parent's worst nightmare. Hundreds
of resources have been used in the search. Drones, helicopters,
k nines all used across the entire county and beyond
Aisha Morales. When the Chief says county, and beyond where
(35:58):
else are they looking?
Speaker 7 (36:00):
They have been going now in multiple counties. It's not
just where he went missing. It is now even as
far as the Milwaukee area, even into central Wisconsin, which
is about three hours away where Bauer herself was going
back and forth from. So she was from what it
seems according to this complaint, she was not there that day.
(36:21):
She was there the days before, but not that day
that he went missing. So because she was in Wisconsin
Dell three hours three hours away, and they have resources elsewhere,
they're just searching far beyond where he went missing in
that neighborhood.
Speaker 2 (36:38):
I know this the county sheare of.
Speaker 1 (36:41):
Van Hartwig closed his press conference in the final plate
to the public and was fighting back tears as a
thought of this missing three year old boy. There is
now a sixteen thousand dollar reward in the search for
three year old Elijah Vue.
Speaker 13 (37:03):
To think with his child endured before he was killed,
I mean, do we really think he's still alive? We
wait as justice unfolds, the trials looming, I fully expect
additional charges.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
Goodbye friend,
Host
Nancy Grace
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