New information about the prosecution’s case against Jesse Vang in Manitowoc County. He’s the man accused of abusing 3-year-old Elijah Vue causing his death and disposing of his body.
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Manitowoc County prosecutor lays out evidence in Jesse Vang case
New information about the prosecution’s case against Jesse Vang in Manitowoc County. He’s the man accused of abusing 3-year-old Elijah Vue causing his death and disposing of his body.
In court this week prosecutors gave more information about a span of 5 days that they say is critical to this case.
Special Agent Justen Ragen with the State’s Division of Criminal Investigation took the stand during Jesse Vang’s contested preliminary hearing on Wednesday. Ragen responded to Two Rivers on February 20, for the Amber Alert.
Since that day, he says his team has worked backward, trying to determine when the last time 3-year-old Elijah Vue was seen in public.
It is believed these could be the last photos of Elijah Vue from an auto body shop on Friday, February 16. Early in the investigation, we saw this vehicle, a 1997, beige four-door Nissan Altima. Posted on social media police looking for surveillance video of it.
Special Agent Justen Ragen says Vang borrowed the vehicle from another person on February 19, one day before reporting Elijah missing from his apartment on Mishicot Road.
According to Ragen, Vang received the keys on February 19 between 2 and 3 p.m. Ragen says cell phone data helped investigators narrow down a time frame Vang’s cellphone showed no messaging activity for about an hour on February 19 at Vang’s apartment, it’s something investigators thought was abnormal.
With that time frame in mind, authorities set out to find video evidence of the Nissan Altima, with Vang driving. Investigators recovered a video they believe shows Vang returning from an area off of Kristy Bob Lane in Two Rivers, where Elijah Vue’s remains were found.
At 6:21 p.m. security footage from a business on Johnston Street captured the Nissan Ultima. 20 minutes later, the Ultima was viewed on Highway 310.
At 6:44 p.m., the Ultima is seen heading toward the city of Two Rivers on Hawthorne Avenue.
At 7:05 p.m., the Ultima is seen entering the parking lot of St. Vincent de Paul, investigators say Vang gets out and leaves a suitcase at the door. Investigators retrieved that black suitcase, saying crime lab testing revealed a positive DNA hit for Elijah Vue.
When Vue’s remains were found on Kristy Bob Lane authorities noticed an unusual gravel-sand-like substance.
Investigators connected that to the person who loaned the vehicle to Vang. The vehicle contained buckets of sand to use at Vang’s apartment complex during winter months.
In the hours before that vehicle movement on February 19, investigators found Vang’s Google Maps activity to be suspicious. The special agent said there was Google recorded information that was zoomed in, off of Kristy Bob Lane, very near where the remains were recovered.
The morning of February 20, Vang called the police to report Elijah Vue missing.
In court, the special agent said they were able to drive the route. They believe Vang took to dispose of Elijah Vue’s body, within an hour.
Vang is back in court in about 10 days.
