There was quite the showing at the Manitowoc County Courthouse for the appearances of Katrina Baur and Jesse Vang.
- Katrina Baur was denied a bail reductipn. Jesse Vang's also stayed the same.
- Volunteer search director, Laurie Hamblen said that she went to show support and was happy with how it went.
- Fellow searcher Yolanda Godfrey said it made her anxious and now she has more questions than answers.
From family to many searchers, I’ve worked with these last few weeks. After the hearing, the family didn't want to speak, but I headed out to the Mikadow Theatre and got the reactions of those at search headquarters.
Volunteer search director Laurie Hamblen was in the court room
"I felt that it was important today for many of our core volunteer members to be there,” she said.
A day that saw no changes in bail for Katrina Baur as decided by judge Robert Dewane in her charge of child neglect before the disappearance of three-year-old Elijah Vue.
"The child definitely needed protection and Katrina failed at that, tremendously,” Hamblen said.
An opinion shared by searcher Yolanda Godfrey.
"I don't think she deserves to be out,” Godfrey said. “Unless you produce $15,000, you don't deserve to be out."
Thursday's appearance revealed texts from Baur to Vang just after Elijah’s disappearance telling him not to cooperate with police. Something that was very concerning to the two women.
"Why would you say that?” Godfrey wondered. “I can't wrap my head around that. I really can't."
"As a mother, your first words should be, 'where is my son?', 'tell me what happened', 'we need to get help’,” said Hamblen.
Yolanda says Thursday morning left her with more questions than answers, but they must most importantly stay focused on Elijah.
"He has become Two Rivers' son, grandson, nephew, brother, friend, you name it,” Godfrey said. “That's what we're there for, to support Elijah and the Vue family."
And as director of the search, Laurie says the outlook for the future has not changed.
"We're not stopping until we get an answer."
Laurie told me that a lot of the Vue family has had to go back to work, but they are hoping to continue getting out in manitowoc to search for their Elijah.
