TWO RIVERS, Wis. — Wisconsin law enforcement said the skeletal remains found by a hunter last week have been positively identified as missing 3-year-old Elijah Vue.
A local deer hunter came upon the remains on their private property Friday in Two Rivers, the same town where 3-year-old Vue was last seen in February. Two Rivers Police Chief Ben Meinnert said the area had previously been searched several times by law enforcement and volunteers.
"It is with a heavy heart that I announce to you today that those remains were identified as Elijah Vue," he said at a press conference Friday afternoon.
Vue's remains were identified after a Wisconsin crime lab analysis and DNA testing, the chief said, adding that the boy's family was notified as soon as they received confirmation of his identity.
According to Meinnert, the property where his body was discovered is only about three miles from where he was reported missing.
"This is not the outcome that we hoped for," said Meinnert. "The family’s devasted; we’re devastated; our community is devastated."
Elijah was last seen at a residence in Two Rivers on Feb. 20, when prosecutors said his mother had sent him to stay with her boyfriend. His reported disappearance triggered extensive search activity by both law enforcement and volunteers, but the boy was never located. The child's fourth birthday was celebrated in his absence Aug. 25 during a community event at Kiwanis Park in Appleton.
Both Vue's mother and her boyfriend are currently charged with child neglect.
Meinnert said law enforcement will continue to update the public with information as it becomes available, and asked anyone with tips regarding the active investigation to call the Two River Police Department at 920-686-7200.
Two Rivers is located in far eastern Wisconsin on the shores of Lake Michigan, due east of Appleton and Oshkosh and about 100 miles north of Milwaukee.