On the morning May 3rd, 2002, 7-year-old Alexis Patterson was very excited about going to school. Alexis was already a good student, she got straight A’s and prided herself on her perfect attendance record. But this day was going to be very special. The night before, she and her mother Ayanna Patterson, purchased cupcakes for her to bring to her first-grade class. But when her mother realized Alexis had not finished her homework, she told her she was no longer allowed to bring the treats to her class. Frustrated, Alexis packed up and got ready to make the short walk to Hi-Mount Community School. The school was just 242 steps from her front door, but her mother or stepfather usually walked with her anyway. That morning, her stepfather LaRon Bourgeois walked with her. When they got to the end of their street, they met a crossing guard who walked Alexis to the other side of the street to the school.

What happened next and even parts of what I’ve already told you is highly debated among LaRon Bourgeois, witnesses at the school and law enforcement. What we know for sure is that Alexis went missing that day.

To complicate matters further in 2016, 14 years after Alexis went missing, a man came forward claiming his ex-wife was the missing girl. Since then, Ayanna Patterson has believed her daughter is not missing but alive and well, unable to believe the truth of her identity. But some detectives are certain that the answers about what happened to Alexis will be found closer to home.

Alexis Patterson was 7 years old when she went missing from Milwaukee Wisconsin on May 3rd, 2002. At the time she was 3ft 8 inches tall and weighed approximately 42 pounds. She was last seen wearing a red hooded jacket with a gray stripe on the sleeves, a purple shirt, light colored blue jeans, and white Nike tennis shoes. She wore her hair in two braids pulled back into one ponytail and was carrying a pink "Barbie" book bag. She has black hair and brown eyes. She also has a scar under her right eye and a bump on her left pinky finger. There is a $10k reward being offered for information that leads investigators to Alexis. Anyone with information is urged to call their local FBI office. You can also submit a tip anonymously online at Tips.FBI.Gov.

This episode originally aired on May 5, 2022.

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The introduction music used in Voices for Justice is Thread of Clouds by Blue Dot Sessions. Outro music is Melancholic Ending by Soft and Furious. The track used for ad transitions is Pinky by Blue Dot Sessions.

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