The grandmother of a missing Wisconsin toddler begged a court to keep the boy’s mother — her daughter — locked behind bars, citing her “history of erratic behavior.”
The desperate plea was delivered Thursday during a preliminary hearing for Katrina Baur, 31, who faces chronic child neglect charges in connection to 3-year-old Elijah Vue’s disappearance.
The boy vanished Feb. 20 after Baur sent him to the home of boyfriend Jesse Vang, who is also charged in the case, for “disciplinary reasons,” according to court documents.
In a statement read at the hearing, Jodi Baur asked that the court reject her daughter’s request to lower her $15,000 bond.
“I have known Katrina Baur longer than anyone else as I am her mother,” said the statement, read aloud by District Attorney Jacalyn LaBre.
“Katrina has struggled with depression and anxiety for many years, has a history of erratic behavior. She has been suffering from traumatic brain injury and is highly likely to forget mandatory appearances.”
“I don’t feel it’s worth the risk to lower her bond, especially as a victim has not been found and many questions have not been answered. She does need to be held accountable for what rules out in the future and I feel releasing her she would be a flight risk.”
Jodi Baur also revealed that her daughter cut ties with her family in October 2022 following years of volatile behavior.
Jodi Baur claims she was a victim of Katrina Baur, who allegedly unleashed “verbal and emotional abuse” for years before their relationship dissolved.
The mistreatment was severe enough for Jodi Baur to ask that the court issue a no-contact order to Katrina Baur should she be released on bail.
The judge in the case, however, declined Katrina Baur’s plea to have her bond decreased — stating that the $15,000 cash amount was set “right where it needs to be.”
Katrina Baur was arrested on Feb. 21, the day after Vang, 39, reported Elijah missing.
He told police he had been taking a nap in the morning with Elijah in the bedroom, but awoke three hours later to find the boy gone.
Elijah had been staying at Vang’s Two Rivers home since Katrina Baur dropped him off on Feb. 12 so Vang could teach the boy “to be a man,” the mother told police, according to a criminal complaint.
Katrina Baur — who was planning on picking up Elijah on Feb. 23 — was about 30 miles away when he vanished.
She was initially charged with child neglect, which has since been amended to chronic child neglect.
She also faces two misdemeanor counts of resisting or obstructing an officer.
Vang was charged with one felony count of party-to-a-crime child neglect and is being held on a $20,000 cash bond.
Investigators are still on the hunt for little Elijah, who is 3 feet tall, has dark blond hair and brown eyes, and weighs about 45 pounds.
He also has a birthmark on his left knee.
A Manitowoc County Crime Stoppers reward for information leading to the location and return of Elijah or the arrest and conviction of those responsible for his disappearance has risen to as much as $10,000, Two Rivers Police Chief Ben Meinnert said in a news release.
The Crime Stoppers reward is in addition to an FBI reward of up to $15,000 in the case.
