The man that kidnapped her? By then, 14 years had passed. Ayanna and LaRon separated shortly after Alexis went missing, with both having since moved away from the Milwaukee area. While Sunday's event was private, there will be a public gathering at Hi-Mount Elementary School on Tuesday, May 3, 2022, the 20th anniversary of Alexis' disappearance. I know that the department took it very seriously. She always had a beautiful smile for everyone, said former Head Start teacher Benedicta Graves. But Norman confirmed that police still have not ruled out the possibility that Alexis mother and stepfather may have had something to do with her disappearance. Investigators also went door-to-door in the days after she went missing, asking people if theyd seen her, and billboards were set up across Milwaukee, asking those with information to come forward. News reports from the time say several of Elizabeths relatives took polygraphs, but there was no mention of the results. None of the teachers had seen Alexis that day, but no one had notified her parents of her absence even though the straight-A student prided herself on perfect attendance. Alexis Patterson was last seen walking to Hi-Mount elementary school the morning of May 3, 2002. President George W. Bush greets Elizabeth Smart and her. If you would like to know more about that theory, you would need to do your own research and see what you find. In other words, the town is filled with people who have no clue who they really are. I always hope that we as a department be as professional and honest and forthright as possible, he said. In addition to celebrating those who have stood by her for two decades,Patterson also spoke her truth, loudly and sometimes through tears. In Milwaukee, the first story about Alexis was published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Sunday, two days after she disappeared. Im not afraid of nothing now that I know my babys safe, and I know my babys alive.. When Patterson tried to get the FBI involved in verifying the identity of the Ohio woman, she received a similar response. The results of genetic testing released Thursday exclude the possibility that an Ohio woman is Alexis Patterson, the Milwaukee girl who vanished on her way to school 14 years ago. Friends and relatives stayed around the clock to help Patterson care for her infant daughter, born six months before Alexis vanished. Today we discuss the disappearance of 7 year old Alexis Patterson. 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. This nasty individual has been linked to the cases of several missing Black children, and there is reason to believe that Tomlinson is a cannibal who has murdered them and ground them up into pepperoni he formerly sold before residents caught onto his disgusting actions. We see this . Sunday's special gathering on Milwaukee's north side featured stories, songs, poems and photos, all in honor of Alexis. They wouldnt state why these tapes were of interest, citing it was illegal to comment on sealed search warrants. Polygraphs.. We don't give up," Patterson said. And I aint giving up.. However, police have said he wasnt released until May 6, 2002, three days after her disappearance. Her stepfather walked her to school, but the school said she never made it to class. TOP: Ayanna Patterson reacts to a 2016 statement from police that an Ohio womans DNA does not match that of Alexis. In Milwaukee, the FBI didnt join Alexis case until three days after she vanished. Lisa B Patterson 64 Shamrock Cir, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926. Her ears are pierced. As of the end of last year, more than 1,000 missing children had been recovered as a result of the alerts. In 2002, Wisconsin had not yet adopted Amber Alerts. RICK WOOD, MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL; TOM LYNN, AP. Investigators also ruled him out as a being involved. Kenya plead not guilty to all four charges against him. Law enforcement officials are trying to determine if a woman living in Ohio is Alexis Patterson, the Milwaukee girl who vanished 14 years ago, a mystery that remains an open wound to those. "It's amazing how Alexis just dropped of the face of the earth and nobody knows where she is. Seven-year-old Alexis Patterson went missing in May of 2002. Everybody always wanted to sit next to her.. The distance from Hi-Mount Elementary to the Pattersons front door was just 242 steps. Norman, the police chief, acknowledged that probably wasnt the best way to gain Pattersons trust. News reports from the time say several of Elizabeths relatives took polygraphs, but there was no mention of the results. Joshuas suspicions were also shared by his fianc and the pair were struck by his ex-wifes resemblance to the age-progressed images of Alexis. As a result of Alexis disappearance, Ayanna has been a lot more protective of her children. Contact Gina Barton on Signal at 262-757-8640 or at gbarton@gannett.com. Police records say otherwise. The post included pictures of missing children from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Michigan. In the days and weeks that followed, hundreds of tips rolled in. The pair had gotten married in 2009, before divorcing four years later. By then, 14 years had passed. 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. Investigators also used polygraph tests in both cases. The Deseret News ran a story the following day. We have seen, unfortunately,(sometimes) those who are entrusted with the welfare of their own children have broken that trust. VIDEO: At an event marking the 20th year of Alexis Patterson's disappearance, Ayanna Patterson shares her conviction that her daughter will come home. The woman had strikingly similar features, including matching birth marks and a bump on her finger. Receive small business resources and advice about entrepreneurial info, home based business, business franchises and startup opportunities for entrepreneurs. 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. If he was involved, Patterson says,he never told her. She is too much like me, says Ayanna. It has been 19. In 1994, he had been involved in a bank robbery that resulted in the fatal shooting of a police officer in Glendale, Wisconsin. She never made it to school.. View Caroline Patterson's profile on LinkedIn, the world's largest professional community. Explore the latest videos from hashtags: #alexispatterson . LEFT: Ayanna Patterson reacts to a 2016 statement from police that an Ohio womans DNA does not match that of Alexis. A federal law designed to help states implement Amber Alertsnationwide was passed in 2003 the year after Alexis and Elizabeth vanished and all 50 states had set them up by 2005. He angrily denied the reports. It was a miracle that the young women in Ohio were found. About 100 people attended the gathering, which Patterson called an awakening, to join in prayer, poetry, music and a banquet prepared by Patterson and her family. Are Milwaukee and Bryan officials in on the secret? When officials in Bryan met with Joshuas ex-wife, she was able to provide them with numerous documents to prove who she said she was, including a birth certificate that showed she was born in Belize, her green card and her passport. Recalling the phone call, she shook her head. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-TIPS or use the P3 Tips app. However, despite the intensive investigation, very little progress has been made in relation to the case and there has been no physical evidence uncovered to contradict what those interviewed have told police. As of the end of last year, more than 1,000 missing children had been recovered as a result of the alerts. She went missing on May 3, 20. Receive small business resources and advice about entrepreneurial info, home based business, business franchises and startup opportunities for entrepreneurs. 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. According to Joshua, there were aspects of his ex-wifes past that didnt add up, as she had no memory of her childhood prior to her being 10 years old. The issue that often presents itself is the lack of willingness to treat all crimes the same. She was 7 years old, and was last seen wearing a light purple blouse or a blue shirt with horizontal stripes; a hooded red pullover nylon jacket with a grey stripe that ran down each sleeve; light blue jeans; blue and white hightopNike sneakers; and cluster-type diamond sunflower-shaped earrings with yellow gold posts. The Disappearance of Alexis Patterson: A Routine Walk to School with Her Stepdad, Just to Never be Heard From Again | Case 3 | by Jadyn Harlow - The Missing Found Podcast | Medium 500. One-hundred and fifteen were classified as being taken by a stranger. Although it was then called a Rachael Alert, Utah had already set up its system another key difference between Alexis case and Elizabeths. Ayanna has shared that she feels the local authorities could have done a better job handling her daughters disappearance. 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. Carlisa Michelle Williams Miller is listed at 138 . Although the results are generally not admissible in court in either state, some members of law enforcement then and now consider polygraphs useful tools in solving crimes. Alexis Patterson was born on April 4, 1995 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In July 2016, investigators received information from a man named Joshua Miller of Bryan, Ohio, who believed his ex-wife to be Alexis. I don't depend on the police. Contact Talis Shelbourne at (414). IfRead more . Side by side images of the missing children and some of the young adults linked to Lisa Millers Facebook page showed chilling resemblances. Three days later, Milwaukee Police Chief Arthur Jones told reporters he believed Alexis had run away. Joshua spent four years working to expose the case and does not trust the DNA results. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, The Disappearance of Nguyet Thu Wiki Phung, Case Update: Brittanee Drexels Remains Discovered After 13 Years, Suspect Charged, The Disappearances of Tina & Bethany Sinclair. Im not afraid of nothingnow that I know my babys safe, and I know my babys alive.. There were none focused onAlexis. Lexi was full of light and personality, with an infectious smile and a happy personality. I poured out my heart to this man, and thats what he says? she said. 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. Jamaal on What Really Happened to 106 & Park Ayanna has shared that the media attention became overwhelming during the early parts of the investigation and that sometimes the public were cruel toward her and her family. If alive, she would be 24 years old. I know thats my child, Patterson told USA TODAY in April. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children released an age-progression photos of Alexis in 2009, which showed what she could have looked like at 14 years old. There are 127 results for persons named Alexis Patterson. I know that can be a little disheartening or unnerving, said Norman, the current Milwaukee chief. Also remember that nearly 20 years ago we didnt have social media out there tracking everything we do. She too was certain Joshuas ex-wife was the missing girl after seeing the pairs wedding photo. They would tell you, in todays environment, she said, this is one of the things thats automatically done. Anyone with information about Alexis Patterson is asked to contact Milwaukee police at 414-935-7360. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. If you're a Pinterest-perfect mom who has been planning her children's Halloween costumes for weeks if not months, we seriously applaud you. She maintains that Lisa Miller is really her daughter, but police still say it's not a match, and the case remains cold. The distance from Hi-Mount Elementary to the Pattersons front door was just 242steps. 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. His response, according to a recording Patterson made of the conversation, was to accuse her, again, of being involved in Alexis disappearance. The previous day, Patterson had taken Alexis to the store, where she picked out some cupcakes to share with her classmates. Includes summary of election income, expenditures and surplus campaign funds. In January 2002, Alexis father, Kenya, was charged with misdemeanour battery and misdemeanour bail jumping, charges that would later be dismissed in May of that year.