Josh married his wife in 2009, when Alexis Patterson would have been just 14 years old. Bourgeois failed a polygraph test, but the questions that were failed were not released to the public. LaRon has repeatedly denied any involvement in his stepdaughters disappearance and says Sheriff Clarke has no proof he was involved. I know thats my child, Patterson told USA TODAY in April. The issue that often presents itself is the lack of willingness to treat all crimes the same. Everybody always wanted to sit next to her.. Norman, the police chief, acknowledged that probably wasnt the best way to gain Pattersons trust. On a stage draped in lavender and purple Alexis favorite colors teachers shared their memories of a girl who as a preschooler called her drawings homework and learned to read before she started first grade. Im from the 'hood. Associated Addresses. He had then left for work, leaving his mother to care for the infant. We have seen, unfortunately, (sometimes) those who are entrusted with the welfare of their own children have broken that trust. At the end of the day, she didnt come home. The gathering begins at 9 a.m. Alexis Patterson's disappearance is still in the hands of Milwaukee Police Department's cold case unit, as well as the FBI. . This tip led to the search of a vacant house in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, but nothing was found. What Really Happened to Alexis Patterson? Are Milwaukee and Bryan officials in on the secret? Because if you pass it, then you can tell anybody you want, Look, I passed this polygraph. If you dont, you dont have to tell anybody. Hey guys welcome back to another missing person case Monday. Ayanna believes Alexis is still alive and continues to celebrate her daughters birthday each year. However, very little has been elaborated about in regards to this. Alexis Patterson | Source 7-year-old Alexis Patterson lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with her mother, Ayanna Patterson, her stepfather, LaRon Bourgeois, and her 6-month-old sister, Dysoni. Hoping those already incarcerated might know something, Milwaukee police included her image in a pack of cold case playing cards that were then sent to jails and prisons across Wisconsin. Ayanna and Lisas daughter look very much alike. Alexis Patterson's family gathered at Hi-Mount Community School in Milwaukee Tuesday. Who lives at 29 E Pomfret St Unit 1 Carlisle PA? Those who believe in this theory say that Big Brother is behind many of the child disappearances that have occurred in the United States. Anyone with information about Alexis Patterson is asked to contact Milwaukee police at 414-935-7360. Hoping to confirm his suspicions, Joshua travelled to Milwaukee with his son to meet Ayanna. By the next morning, she was gone. The area around Hi-Mount Boulevard School, as well as vacant residences, were also searched. If I went to Ohio and swabbed Lisas mouth myself if I do that, if I bring it back here and its not a match will you tell me what really happened? he asked Patterson. Being an investigator and being objective, you look at all angles.. MILWAUKEE The DNA test came back and Milwaukee police say an Ohio woman is not the missing Alexis Patterson. The Deseret News ran a story the following day. Follow her on Twitter at @writerbarton. Nineteen days after she was last seen, the sheriffs office offered a $10,000 reward. According to the FBIs National Crime Information Center (NCIC) Missing Person File, there are 88,089 active missing person records, of which juveniles under the age of 18 account for 32,121 (36.5%) of the records. 2) Theres a conspiracy theory that states the town of Bryan, Ohio is made up of missing children who dont know who they really are. Credit Solution Experts Incorporated offers quality business credit building services, which includes an easy step-by-step system designed for helping clients build their business credit effortlessly. A lover of roller-skating and the colour pink, she was often referred to by her nicknames, "Lexi" and "Pie". In December 2013, Kenya was charged with beating his 8-month-old daughter. He angrily denied the reports. He still feels she is indeed Alexis, but says she wont admit it because shes afraid of the people she knows to be her current family. In 2002, seven-year-old Alexis Patterson didnt come home from school. I feel like its because of me being African American, Patterson said. Alexis Patterson was born on April 4, 1995 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There are conspiracy theorists that say big brother is behind most of the missing children cases in the US. Although it was then called a Rachael Alert, Utah had already set up its system another key difference between Alexis case and Elizabeths. She cant understand whyMilwaukee policedidnt travel to Ohio to collect Lisas DNA. Both the disappearances of Elizabeth and Alexis are tragic and illustrate parents' worst nightmare. At 3, Patterson ran to the school in a panic. "No matter if you have to go out of the state or out of the country, I will go with her to help her find her child," Quinones said. For months after Alexis disappeared, Patterson almost never left the house. I told him everything. I know that the department took it very seriously. The daughter of parents Ayanna Patterson and Kenya Campbell, she was known for being bubbly and having a bossy personality. Saturday, July 9, 2016 --- Fourteen years ago, seven-year-old Alexis Patterson was dropped off at a Milwaukee elementary school and never seen again. Every year since 2012, longtime Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett has recognized May 3 as Alexis Patterson Forget Me Not Day. Before he left office to become the U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg late last year, Barrett signed the proclamation for 2022. He told Colleen Henry of WISN 12 that Ayanna knows thats her child. He said Alexis and Lisa have a birth mark in the exact same spot.. Joshua traveled to Milwaukee with his son (that he shares with Lisa) to meet with Ayanna. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. She has brown eyes and shoulder-length black hair that was styled in two French braids, which were pulled back into a ponytail. They wouldnt have never treated me this way if I was white. Bourgeois received immunity to testify against the suspected shooter. Examining the world of solved and unsolved cases. Patterson believes having strangers collect the sample and ship it left open the possibility that someone could have tampered with it. Alexis always got home from school around2:50 p.m. She never made it to school.. To receive this honor, undergraduate students must pass a minimum of 12 credits (excluding audits, incompletes, repeats, and pass/fail) with no grade below 'B-' in any course taken, and a grade point . There were none focused onAlexis. Her biological father, Kenya Campbell, left before Alexis was born and he was not involved in her life. At the end of the day, she didnt come home. Whilst there, he gave a sample of his sons DNA to Ayanna, as the police department in Bryan had already collected a saliva sample from his ex-wife. Based on your tips and our own research, reporters around the country will tell the stories of missing children who have yet to be found. It was also announced by Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett that May 3 would be known as Alexis Patterson: Forget Me Not Day. If I would not have passed, then I wouldnt be standing here, he told a local reporter at the time. Alexis Patterson(Yahoo News) One of the unfortunate realities of True Crime comes down to the coverage. When Patterson tried to get the FBI involved in verifying the identity of the Ohio woman, she received a similar response. If he was involved, Patterson says, he never told her. Some of those who had been re-interviewed shared that they may not have remembered correctly and that they may not have seen her that particular Friday morning. Nearly every conversation she had with police about Alexis case ended in a shouting match. By then, 14 years had passed. If you have any information on Alexis Patterson please contact Milwaukee police at 414-935-7360. Patterson checked with her grandmother, who lived nearby, but she hadnt seen the girl either. The fact that missing Black people command less media attention than whites has been well documented by academic researchers. Senator Lena Taylor caught wind of the theory during this time, as shed been helping the Patterson family in their search for Alexis. In 2002, Wisconsin had not yet adopted Amber Alerts. His mother had tried to call him at 7:00am, but he didnt answer. While she had gotten a split lip as a result of the fall, she was otherwise fine. They probably did my background. Its a win-win for you. By the next morning, she was gone. Another blames the socioeconomic status of Black victims. We have seen, unfortunately,(sometimes) those who are entrusted with the welfare of their own children have broken that trust. LEFT PHOTO: A photo of Alexis at the event about 100 people attended. Pay attention to the statement Joshua made after the DNA results were revealed. Remembering Alexis Patterson after 11 years. The family, which she is said to have been very close to, lived in a house near 49th Street and Garfield Avenue. Alexis case has been featured on In Pursuit With John Walsh, The View, Find Our Missing, Maury Povich, Crime Watch Daily, Ricki Lake and Americas Most Wanted. Getentrepreneurial.com: Resources for Small Business Entrepreneurs in 2022. Everybody always wanted to sit next to her.. We don't give up," Patterson said. A leading theory faults the lack of racial diversity in newsrooms and media ownership. This led her to hire a private investigator. A song by Black gospel singer Yolanda Adams played on repeat: There is no pain Jesus cant feel, no hurt he cannot heal, for all things work according to his perfect will. This part of the investigation involved the use of boats, motorcycles, helicopters and horse back and saw hundreds of citizen volunteers lending their time to search alleyways and other nearby parks. On the morning of May 3, 2002, Alexis Pattersons stepfather walked her to the corner and a crossing guard guided the 7-year-old across the street toward Hi-Mount Community School in Milwaukee. Her real name isAleisa Quinones, and she has become a close family friend and a voice in Alexis' case. Cases of suspected abduction, like Elizabeths, garner more attention from cops and reporters than children consideredrunaways by police, as Alexis initially was. While investigators canvassed Washington Park and set up a command post in the area, divers searched the depths of a nearby lagoon. Upon speaking with some of Alexis classmates, it was learnt that a red truck had been spotted parked near the school for most of the week. Two weeks before Alexis went missing, parents at Hi-Mount Boulevard School had received letters warning them of man who had tried to abduct a little boy near the school. If you know of missing children of color in your community or have experienced these disparities firsthand as a parent, friend or law enforcement officer, we want to hear from you. Hoping to drum up new leads, investigators looked through local sex offender registries, as well as probation and parole files, but were unable to come up with anything. Patterson said as much when she spoke with a new Milwaukee cold case detective recently only the second or third conversation she hashad with him since he took over the case more than a year ago. The agent told Patterson she hadfailed her first polygraph and implied they wouldnt help unless shetook another one, according to a recording Patterson made of that phone call. The grid-by-grid search centred around the northwest section of Milwaukee, with a specific focus on West Meinecke Avenue, West Vine Street, North 60th Street and North 16th Street. By Alexis Patterson | Dallas Child Verified. 64 Shamrock Cir, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926 5871 N Castlegate Dr, Atlanta, GA 30349 405 Fairfield Cir, Fayetteville, GA 30214. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What Alexis Patterson's case says about missing white woman syndrome, Gina Barton and Ashley Luthern, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Alexis Patterson was the much loved daughter of Ayanna Patterson and Kenya Campbell; known affectionately as 'Lexi' or 'Pie.'. if I say, 'that's my daughter,' believe me because I know mine. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-TIPS or use the P3 Tips app. Immediately, the surrounding areas were searched, with the case initially being treated as a potential runaway. Patterson said she wouldnt take a second test unless the FBI showed her the report of her first one, and they refused. He angrily denied the reports. Seven-year-old Alexis Patterson went missing in May of 2002. We need your help. Each certificate was proudly displayed, alongside a poster-sized photos of Alexis, at an event Sunday in Milwaukee marking the 20th anniversary of her disappearance. VIDEO: At an event marking the 20th year of Alexis Patterson's disappearance, Ayanna Patterson shares her conviction that her daughter will come home. I clearly do remember Alexiss story being out there. The most recent tenant is Brent Morrow. That same year, he was charged with an unrelated crime after hed had a domestic dispute with Ayanna, whod been trying to leave him. In 1994, he had been involved in a bank robbery that resulted in the fatal shooting of a police officer in Glendale, Wisconsin. Bourgeois, who denied having anything to do with Alexis' disappearance,died of a probabledrug overdose in 2021. Holding onto hope and working to get Alexis home after 20 years. Watch popular content from the following creators: Preston Nicholson(@prestonnicholson87), TheRoseSavage(@therosesavage), Nostalgic(@80sbaby90sluv), Jenna Lynn(@jennalynn468), Preston Nicholson(@prestonnicholson87) . BOTTOM: A Milwaukee Police officer climbs out of a boarded up home on the 2100 block N. 33rd St. in Milwaukee during the search for Alexis. Investigators also used polygraph tests in both cases. Looking for Alexis Patterson online? Numerous officers also spent many of their days off searching for Alexis and were given hep by both the FBI and other state law enforcement agencies. Joshuas ex-wife has said she felt agitated and angry over the attention she received as a result of the DNA tests, as some who had read about the case online had gathered outside her home, but also shares that she feels sorry for the family. She has also went to the state capitol in Madison, Wisconsin and to Washington, DC in support of Alexis. Opening Title Production company Cast and crew Genre J A N U A R Y 2: The Killing of John Lennon: IFC First Take: Andrew Piddington (director/screenplay); Jonas Ball, Krisha Fairchild, Gunter Stern, Gail Kay Bell, Mie Omori, Robert C. Kirk: Crime, Drama: 4: One Missed Call: Warner Bros. Pictures / Alcon Entertainment / Kadokawa Pictures: Eric Valette (director); Andrew Klavan (screenplay . Alexis Patterson was last seen walking to Hi-Mount elementary school the morning of May 3, 2002. Which leads to two important, but unanswered questions : Why did Milwaukee police and news outlets break the story prior to investigation? Its a win-win for you. In Milwaukee, law enforcement sources leaked information to the media, saying Alexis mother had passed a polygraph, but her stepfather, LaRon Bourgeois, had failed. . Alexis Patterson, 7, of Milwaukee, was last seen alive on May 3, 2002. We all paid attention. In the days and weeks that followed, hundreds of tips rolled in. An FBI spokesman declined to comment. The woman willingly submitted to a DNA test to prove that she wasn't Patterson. Ayanna says she doesn't believe the DNA test was conducted correctly, if at all. Friends and relatives stayed around the clock to help Patterson care for her infant daughter, born six months before Alexis vanished. Each certificate was proudly displayed, alongside a poster-sized photos of Alexis, at an event Sunday in Milwaukee marking the 20th anniversary of her disappearance. Alexis Patterson, missing 7-year-old girl (handout) On the morning of May 3, 2002, Alexis Patterson's stepfather walked her to the corner and a crossing guard guided the 7-year-old across. And I aint giving up.. Some sources say Kenya had posted a $100 bond in relation to the charge just two days before his daughter went missing. Someone belonging to a Facebook group called The Whole Milwaukee created a post back in July 2016 with this allegation. To protect Lisas identity, I will not post any of her pictures. Because if you pass it, then you can tell anybody you want, Look, I passed this polygraph. If you dont, you dont have to tell anybody. Despite be lectured by her mother, she was seen speaking to the same woman two days later, which worried Ayanna. At 3, Patterson ran to the school in a panic. At 8:00am the next day, LaRon walked Alexis to school, which was located at 4291 West Garfield Avenue. Bourgeois received immunity to testify against the suspected shooter. She was just 7 years old. In May 2017, a Hear Their Voice celebration was held at the Wisconsin Black Historical Society on West Center Street in honour of Alexis and other missing children from around the world. He said he wanted to get Lisa and her kids into safety, away from that man. What man? The resemblance to an age-progressed photo of Alexis posted by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children was uncanny. MILWAUKEE - Milwaukee cold case detectives are following up on new trips related to the 2002 disappearance of Alexis Patterson -- a 7-year-old girl last seen walking to school. We see this . A subsection of this theory is that Alexis disappearance may be related to prostitution. There are currently no suspects, but its said that investigators have not ruled anyone out. Contact Gina Barton on Signal at 262-757-8640 or at gbarton@gannett.com. If Alexis went missing today, Norman said, police would issue an Amber Alert because of her age. Also remember that nearly 20 years ago we didnt have social media out there tracking everything we do. I didntfinish high school. She couldnt sleep. That isnt true. I always hope that we as a department be as professional and honest and forthright as possible, he said. Smart, who was unavailable for an interview with USA TODAY while taking time away with her family, made the comments last year on the Facebook Live series Red Table Talk. It took them approximately an hour to respond. Police records say otherwise. The reporter showed Patterson a photo of a woman named Lisa who lived in Bryan, Ohio, nearly 300 miles from Milwaukee. Thats when I found out that my baby never made it, Patterson told USA TODAY. Patterson believes having strangers collect the sample and ship it left open the possibility that someone could have tampered with it. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blogs author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. One-hundred and fifteen were classified as being taken by a stranger. But we have a lot of work to do.. Lisa B Patterson 64 Shamrock Cir, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926. Lexi was full of light and personality, with an infectious smile and a happy personality. Despite investigators belief that Alexis was so angryshe skipped school, Milwaukee police acted with extreme urgency, said Chief Jeffrey Norman, who was a detective back then. I'm not giving up ever," Patterson said. The distance from Hi-Mount Elementary to the Pattersons front door was just 242 steps. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Oh, so this is all about race now? Although it was then called a Rachael Alert, Utah had already set up its system another key difference between Alexis case and Elizabeths. TOP PHOTO: A photo of Alexis at the event about 100 people attended. Today we discuss the disappearance of 7 year old Alexis Patterson. Public officials walk the route she would often take to school before saying a prayer in her remembrance.