Revealed: Chilling text messages between missing three-year-old Elijah Vue's mom and her boyfriend Jesse Vang who she left him with for a week of punishment 'boot camp'

A suspect in the disappearance of three-year-old Elijah Vue sent the young boy's mother chilling text messages vowing to 'make him respect me' while he had him at his house for a week of punishment 'boot camp', new court documents reveal.

Vue was last seen on February 20, at a home in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, where prosecutors said he was sent to stay with his mother's boyfriend Jesse Vang, 39, because she wanted him to teach the toddler 'to be a man'.

According to court documents, just two days before the toddler disappeared, Vang sent a slew of text messages to his girlfriend Katrina Baur admitting Vue 'did fear me' and that 'some one had to be the bad person' when it came to rearing him.

Vang reported Vue missing eight days after Baur, 31, left him is his care. He told police he had taken a nap and brought the toddler in the bedroom with him, but when he awoke three hours later he was gone. 

Wisconsin police on Monday revealed that a red and white plaid blanket belonging to Vue was found 'earlier in this investigation' about 3.7 miles from where the boy was reported missing. 

Vang briefly appeared in court on Thursday via Zoom before the case was adjourned until next month, the Independent reported. The judge cited Vang's lawyers being 'newly appointed' and needing 'time to prepare'.

Elijah Vue, pictured in his car seat, was last seen on February 20, at a home in Two Rivers, Wisconsin , where prosecutors said he was sent to stay with his mother's boyfriend Jesse Vang, 39, because she wanted him to teach the toddler 'to be a man'

Vang sent the young boy's mother Katrina Baur chilling text messages vowing to 'make him respect me' while he had him at his house for week of 'boot camp', new court documents reveal

Vang texted his girlfriend at approximately 4.36am on February 18, seemingly providing her an update on toddler.

According to a court filing dated Tuesday, and reviewed by DailyMail.com, he said: 'I told you to trust me.. I'm a make sure he hates me and being here.'

'Don't want him to *hate* YOU. Just fear you,' Baur replied.

Vang answered: It's ok. Some one had to be the bad person.'

'I know but either way at he can fear you and respect you,' the boy's mother said.

Vang added: 'He did fear me..but he didn't respect me..now I'm making him respect me.'

Baur was formally charged Monday alongside Vang in connection with the disappearance.  

She had been initially charged last month with one felony count of party-to-a-crime child neglect and two misdemeanor counts of resisting or obstructing an officer. 

Jesse Vang, pictured, was formally charged in February with one felony count of party-to-a-crime child neglect in Elijah's disappearance. He is being held on a $20,000 cash bond

Katrina Baur, pictured, was formally charged Monday alongside Vang in connection with the disappearance. She had been initially charged last month with one felony count of party-to-a-crime child neglect and two misdemeanor counts of resisting or obstructing an officer. Prosecutors later amended the felony count to a charge of party-to-a-crime chronic child neglect and also filed a misdemeanor charge of neglecting a child against her

Prosecutors later amended the felony count to a charge of party-to-a-crime chronic child neglect and also filed a misdemeanor charge of neglecting a child against Baur, who is being held on a $15,000 cash bond.

Vang was formally charged in February with one felony count of party-to-a-crime child neglect in Elijah's disappearance. He is being held on a $20,000 cash bond. 

Vue was last seen at Vang's residence in Two Rivers, located about 30 miles southeast of Green Bay, where prosecutors said he was forced to take cold showers, stand for hours on end and endure a dirty diaper.

Baur told detectives that Vang 'was the enforcer of rules in the relationship', and that was the reason she sent her son to stay with him. 

Vang's alleged harsh discipline involved forcing the young boy to stand for up to three hours at a time, while he was forced to repeat the phrase 'I'm sorry, Mommy.' 

He's also said to have been banned from playing with the only one of his toys at Vang's house - a tool kit - during the eight day alleged torture because he was on a 'time out' throughout. 

Elijah Vue, 3, was last seen on February 20 after he was allegedly sent to his mother's boyfriend's home to learn to 'be a man' 

Searches by police and residents have so far not located the three-year-old, and police said the reward for information in the case has grown to $40,000. Pictured is a member of a volunteer search party looking for Vue two days after he disappeared

Police have identified this Nissan Altima as a 'vehicle of interest' in their search for Elijah Vue 

Detectives said that Vang didn't identify specific incidents that led him to punish Vue, but said that if the boy failed his punishments, he would ask him: 'Do you want the cold water?'

Vang also reportedly claimed that he didn't know why the boy was afraid of the phrase.

'He's fine. It's not like his knees are shaking and about to fall over you know,' he allegedly told detectives.

In an interview before his arrest, Vang also allegedly said he was trying to make Vue understand that 'going home is like a privilege for him.'

After saying the boy was afraid of him, he reportedly changed that to say the thee-year-old 'respects me'.

Baur also claimed to have discussed the limits of how far he could discipline the three-year-old, but 'other than that, she is fine with whatever discipline Vang enforces.'

Vang told police he was in a relationship with Baur, and she had been staying with him in recent times. He said she would help take care of Vue with him for around a month, 'but not continuously.'

Searches by police and residents have so far not located the three-year-old, and police said the reward for information in the case has grown to $40,000. 

Manitowoc Police Officer Nick Place and a K-9 dog search for the missing 3-year-old in Two Rivers, Wisconsin on February 20, 2024

A multi-agency manhunt has since been launched for the missing child, which has so far failed find the child. Officials pictured combing through a local landfill site

When Vue was last seen alive, he was spotted wearing red and green dinosaur shoes - one of which has since been found in the street in the search.

The discovery of the shoe prompted an escalation in the manhunt, and officials have been pictured combing through a local landfill site.

Police earlier this month identified a car of interest in the search, a beige 1997 four-door Nissan Altima, its number plate starts with 'A' and ends with '0'.  

The car is already in their possession, but investigators have asked the public to check surveillance tapes to see if they have any footage of the vehicle's movements between 2pm and 9pm on February 19. 

On Tuesday, police said they have confirmed that a blanket found during their ongoing search belongs to the missing youngster.