Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
On the morning of the 3rd of May 22, 7-year-old
Alexis Patterson from Milwaukee,wisconsin, was upset that she
couldn't take cupcakes to schoolas a class treat because she
hadn't finished her homework.
The evening before Herstepfather, laron Bourgeois,
said that he and Alexis hadwalked half a block from their
home to Highmount CommunitySchool.
After that, alexis crossed theroad towards the school.
(00:22):
He said he watched a crossingguard take Alexis the rest of
the way and then he himselfturned around and walked back
home.
This was the last time he eversaw Alexis.
So so, so, so, so, so, so, so,so, so, so, so, so, so.
(01:05):
This is Human Wreckage, wherewe explore the untold stories
behind headlines and the humanimpact of tragedy.
Today we begin with a child, abright, bubbly little girl with
a radiant smile and her wholelife ahead of her.
Her name is Alexis Patterson.
On the morning of May 3rd 2002,seven-year-old Alexis left her
Milwaukee home, backpack in hand, walking the short distance to
(01:28):
Highmount Community School.
She was excited about the dayahead.
Her stepfather had even packedher a treat for lunch.
It was a normal morning inevery way, until Alexis didn't
come home.
What followed was one of thelargest missing child
investigations in Wisconsin'shistory.
Family, neighbors, police andvolunteers combed the
neighborhood, posted flyers andsearched relentlessly, but
(01:50):
Alexis had vanished without atrace.
Her pink glasses, her ponytails, the shoes she wore that day,
all burned into memory but neverseen again.
Her disappearance sentshockwaves through Milwaukee and
sparked national attention, butas the years passed and Leeds
grew cold, so did publicawareness.
For many, alexis became anotherface on a missing persons
(02:11):
poster.
But for her family, she neverstopped being their daughter,
their sister, their world.
In this episode, we retraceAlexis' final known steps,
explore the early investigationand examine the heartbreaking
questions that still remain.
How does a child simply vanishon her way to school?
What was missed?
What do we still not know?
It's been over two decadessince Alexis Patterson
(02:34):
disappeared, but her caseremains open, unresolved and
deeply felt.
And in the silence left behind,one message rings clear Someone
, somewhere, knows what happened.
Let's get into it.
When Alexis didn't come homefrom school, her mother, ianna
Patterson, called the police.
While some of Alexis'classmates said that they had
seen her in the school groundsthat morning, other classmates
(02:56):
and her teacher said that shehadn't been in attendance,
meaning Alexis most likelyvanished before entering the
school.
Following her disappearance, theMilwaukee Police Department and
Milwaukee County Sheriff'sOffice embarked on one of the
largest joint efforts in theirhistory.
Searchers trudged throughwoodland and they searched on
boat, motorcycle and horseback.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff'sDepartment helicopter was also
(03:19):
deployed to assist in the search.
Missing person posters withAlexa's smiling face emblazoned
on the front were distributedthroughout the city.
She was described as being fourfeet tall, 43 pounds and with
light brown skin.
On the morning she vanished.
She was wearing two Frenchbraids in the front and a
ponytail in the back.
She was wearing a red and grayhooded jacket, light jeans, a
(03:41):
purple shirt and white tennisshoes.
Alexa's family createdlaminated badges bearing Alexis'
picture, contact informationand the question have you seen
my baby?
They canvassed the streetshanding out flyers and searching
, but to no avail.
Police Chief Arthur Jonesspeculated early on in the
investigation that Alexis hadrun away.
After the argument overcupcakes, ianna and Laryn made
(04:04):
tearful pleas for her return andheld onto the hope that she was
only missing.
We're doing terribly.
If someone has her, please justreturn her.
Just let her out on the corner,someone will see her, pleaded
Laron.
Ianna said that if Alexis didrun away, she wouldn't have gone
off with a stranger.
Milwaukee public schoolofficials came under criticism
(04:24):
for not contacting Alexis'family as soon as it was
discovered that Alexis was notin class.
It makes me angry.
This being a neighborhoodschool and all that, they just
wouldn't send somebody a half ablock over here to knock on the
door and check on Lexi" saidLena Ramirez, whose daughter was
Alexa's half-sister.
According to the school, theyfollowed correct protocol, which
(04:45):
was to notify a parent orguardian by the end of a second
day if a child is missing fromschool.
Their policy was staunchlydefended by Superintendent
Spence Court, who said thatthere are enough absences in
Milwaukee schools each day, asis protocol in missing children
cases.
Both Ayanna and Laron werebrought in for questioning.
Laron was extensivelyquestioned in regards to the
(05:06):
disappearance.
He had a criminal record whichincluded involvement in a 1994
bank robbery which resulted inGlendale police officer Ronald
Hedbany being shot dead.
Laron, who was the getawaydriver, was granted immunity
from prosecution in exchange forhis testimony against Brooke
Teluguero, ship Roman III, whowas convicted and sentenced to
(05:26):
life in prison.
Alexis'.
Disappearance was featured onAmerica's Most Wanted and it led
to a flurry of tips andreported sightings.
Sadly, however, none of theseleads ever panned out.
Meanwhile, police announcedthat Alexis' disappearance had
entered a criminal investigationphase, indicating that it was
now believed that Alexis had metfoul play as opposed to running
(05:47):
off.
It's not normal for any childto willingly be away from her
parents this long.
We're going to look at this sothat someone might have this
child and she might not be freeto go, said Police Chief Leslie
Barber.
Towards the end of the month, a$10,000 reward was offered for
information that could lead tothe whereabouts of Alexis, but
to no avail.
(06:08):
As the weeks turned to months,the leads and tips dried up.
Then, in late August, there wasan anonymous tip to a
television station from somebodywho said that Alexis was in the
Milwaukee River.
However, despite an extensiveand exhaustive search, there was
no sign of Alexis.
In early September, policeChief Arthur Jones announced
that it was very unlikely thatthey would ever find Alexis
(06:30):
alive.
It's frustrating because atsome point in your heart and
mind you still hope against hopethat she's still alive.
You know that someone is caringfor her, but experience says
that's probably not the case.
He said there had been nationalcoverage of the disappearances
of several missing white girlsin other states.
Family and friends said thatAlexis received little national
(06:50):
coverage because she is AfricanAmerican.
This was something that policechief Arthur Jones agreed with.
There's no question in my mindthat there's a media racial bias
.
It certainly is true here inMilwaukee at every level, from
the electronic media to theprint media, he said.
Shortly thereafter, a volunteergroup formed shortly after
Alexis' disappearance, disbandeddue to lack of funds, the
(07:10):
founder, keith Martin, said thatthe community were no longer
interested in Alexis'disappearance.
Disbanded due to lack of funds,the founder, keith Martin, said
that the community were nolonger interested in Alexis'
disappearance.
In fact, when he sponsored arummage sale, only four people
showed up.
I guess the attitude out thereis it didn't happen to me, so
I'm going to leave it alone.
It's just sad, he said.
(07:30):
In April of 2003, laren wasarrested and charged with
beating Ayanna and threateningto kill her.
According to Ayanna, laren hadnot been supportive since her
daughter's disappearance andbecame controlling and abusive.
The week before his arrest,ayanna told him that a detective
was coming to their home totalk about Alexis and he
reportedly responded what thefuck does he want?
(07:51):
I don't give a fuck about him.
He reportedly responded whatthe fuck does he want?
I don't give a fuck about him.
The arrest warrant also saidthat Ayanna accused Laron of
selling drugs and pimping outwomen.
Over the forthcoming years, ageprogression images showing what
Alexis may look like as she grewinto a young woman were issued
In 2016,.
Police thought they cracked thecase when a man came forward to
say the age progression imageslooked eerily like his ex-wife,
(08:13):
who he said had a very murkypast.
However, dna testing ruled herout.
Each year, ayanna holds abirthday party for her absent
daughter.
She says that until there isevidence to prove that she is
dead, she will live under theassumption that her daughter is
alive and well.
More than 20 years have passedsince Alexis Patterson
disappeared and yet her absenceis still a constant presence in
(08:35):
the lives of those who loved her.
Her mother still clings to hope, her community still feels the
weight of unanswered questions,and her name remains etched in
the heart of Milwaukee.
There were searches, suspectsand even false leads over the
years.
Sightings were reported,theories emerged and
possibilities explored, but nonehave brought Alexis home.
Her case remains open, unsolvedand achingly unresolved.
(09:00):
What happened to Alexis on thatMay morning in 22?
Did someone lure her away?
Did she trust the wrong personor was there something more
complex at play, something stillburied beneath silence and fear
.
We may never know all theanswers, but what we can do is
remember, keep her story alive,keep asking the hard questions,
(09:20):
because children don't justvanish and someone somewhere
knows the truth.
If you know anything about thedisappearance of Alexis
Patterson, no matter how smallit may seem, please contact the
Milwaukee Police Department.
Even the smallest detail couldbe the missing piece.
Thank you for listening toHuman Wreckage.
We tell these stories so thatthey aren't forgotten, because
(09:40):
every child deserves to comehome.
Till next time, take care ofyourselves, thank you, you.
On the morning of the 3rd of May 22, 7-year-old
Alexis Patterson from Milwaukee,wisconsin, was upset that she
couldn't take cupcakes to schoolas a class treat because she
hadn't finished her homework.
The evening before Herstepfather, laron Bourgeois,
said that he and Alexis hadwalked half a block from their
home to Highmount CommunitySchool.
After that, alexis crossed theroad towards the school.
(00:22):
He said he watched a crossingguard take Alexis the rest of
the way and then he himselfturned around and walked back
home.
This was the last time he eversaw Alexis.
So so, so, so, so, so, so, so,so, so, so, so, so, so.
(01:05):
This is Human Wreckage, wherewe explore the untold stories
behind headlines and the humanimpact of tragedy.
Today we begin with a child, abright, bubbly little girl with
a radiant smile and her wholelife ahead of her.
Her name is Alexis Patterson.
On the morning of May 3rd 2002,seven-year-old Alexis left her
Milwaukee home, backpack in hand, walking the short distance to
(01:28):
Highmount Community School.
She was excited about the dayahead.
Her stepfather had even packedher a treat for lunch.
It was a normal morning inevery way, until Alexis didn't
come home.
What followed was one of thelargest missing child
investigations in Wisconsin'shistory.
Family, neighbors, police andvolunteers combed the
neighborhood, posted flyers andsearched relentlessly, but
(01:50):
Alexis had vanished without atrace.
Her pink glasses, her ponytails, the shoes she wore that day,
all burned into memory but neverseen again.
Her disappearance sentshockwaves through Milwaukee and
sparked national attention, butas the years passed and Leeds
grew cold, so did publicawareness.
For many, alexis became anotherface on a missing persons
(02:11):
poster.
But for her family, she neverstopped being their daughter,
their sister, their world.
In this episode, we retraceAlexis' final known steps,
explore the early investigationand examine the heartbreaking
questions that still remain.
How does a child simply vanishon her way to school?
What was missed?
What do we still not know?
It's been over two decadessince Alexis Patterson
(02:34):
disappeared, but her caseremains open, unresolved and
deeply felt.
And in the silence left behind,one message rings clear Someone
, somewhere, knows what happened.
Let's get into it.
When Alexis didn't come homefrom school, her mother, ianna
Patterson, called the police.
While some of Alexis'classmates said that they had
seen her in the school groundsthat morning, other classmates
(02:56):
and her teacher said that shehadn't been in attendance,
meaning Alexis most likelyvanished before entering the
school.
Following her disappearance, theMilwaukee Police Department and
Milwaukee County Sheriff'sOffice embarked on one of the
largest joint efforts in theirhistory.
Searchers trudged throughwoodland and they searched on
boat, motorcycle and horseback.
The Milwaukee County Sheriff'sDepartment helicopter was also
(03:19):
deployed to assist in the search.
Missing person posters withAlexa's smiling face emblazoned
on the front were distributedthroughout the city.
She was described as being fourfeet tall, 43 pounds and with
light brown skin.
On the morning she vanished.
She was wearing two Frenchbraids in the front and a
ponytail in the back.
She was wearing a red and grayhooded jacket, light jeans, a
(03:41):
purple shirt and white tennisshoes.
Alexa's family createdlaminated badges bearing Alexis'
picture, contact informationand the question have you seen
my baby?
They canvassed the streetshanding out flyers and searching
, but to no avail.
Police Chief Arthur Jonesspeculated early on in the
investigation that Alexis hadrun away.
After the argument overcupcakes, ianna and Laryn made
(04:04):
tearful pleas for her return andheld onto the hope that she was
only missing.
We're doing terribly.
If someone has her, please justreturn her.
Just let her out on the corner,someone will see her, pleaded
Laron.
Ianna said that if Alexis didrun away, she wouldn't have gone
off with a stranger.
Milwaukee public schoolofficials came under criticism
(04:24):
for not contacting Alexis'family as soon as it was
discovered that Alexis was notin class.
It makes me angry.
This being a neighborhoodschool and all that, they just
wouldn't send somebody a half ablock over here to knock on the
door and check on Lexi" saidLena Ramirez, whose daughter was
Alexa's half-sister.
According to the school, theyfollowed correct protocol, which
(04:45):
was to notify a parent orguardian by the end of a second
day if a child is missing fromschool.
Their policy was staunchlydefended by Superintendent
Spence Court, who said thatthere are enough absences in
Milwaukee schools each day, asis protocol in missing children
cases.
Both Ayanna and Laron werebrought in for questioning.
Laron was extensivelyquestioned in regards to the
(05:06):
disappearance.
He had a criminal record whichincluded involvement in a 1994
bank robbery which resulted inGlendale police officer Ronald
Hedbany being shot dead.
Laron, who was the getawaydriver, was granted immunity
from prosecution in exchange forhis testimony against Brooke
Teluguero, ship Roman III, whowas convicted and sentenced to
(05:26):
life in prison.
Alexis'.
Disappearance was featured onAmerica's Most Wanted and it led
to a flurry of tips andreported sightings.
Sadly, however, none of theseleads ever panned out.
Meanwhile, police announcedthat Alexis' disappearance had
entered a criminal investigationphase, indicating that it was
now believed that Alexis had metfoul play as opposed to running
(05:47):
off.
It's not normal for any childto willingly be away from her
parents this long.
We're going to look at this sothat someone might have this
child and she might not be freeto go, said Police Chief Leslie
Barber.
Towards the end of the month, a$10,000 reward was offered for
information that could lead tothe whereabouts of Alexis, but
to no avail.
(06:08):
As the weeks turned to months,the leads and tips dried up.
Then, in late August, there wasan anonymous tip to a
television station from somebodywho said that Alexis was in the
Milwaukee River.
However, despite an extensiveand exhaustive search, there was
no sign of Alexis.
In early September, policeChief Arthur Jones announced
that it was very unlikely thatthey would ever find Alexis
(06:30):
alive.
It's frustrating because atsome point in your heart and
mind you still hope against hopethat she's still alive.
You know that someone is caringfor her, but experience says
that's probably not the case.
He said there had been nationalcoverage of the disappearances
of several missing white girlsin other states.
Family and friends said thatAlexis received little national
(06:50):
coverage because she is AfricanAmerican.
This was something that policechief Arthur Jones agreed with.
There's no question in my mindthat there's a media racial bias
.
It certainly is true here inMilwaukee at every level, from
the electronic media to theprint media, he said.
Shortly thereafter, a volunteergroup formed shortly after
Alexis' disappearance, disbandeddue to lack of funds, the
(07:10):
founder, keith Martin, said thatthe community were no longer
interested in Alexis'disappearance.
Disbanded due to lack of funds,the founder, keith Martin, said
that the community were nolonger interested in Alexis'
disappearance.
In fact, when he sponsored arummage sale, only four people
showed up.
I guess the attitude out thereis it didn't happen to me, so
I'm going to leave it alone.
It's just sad, he said.
(07:30):
In April of 2003, laren wasarrested and charged with
beating Ayanna and threateningto kill her.
According to Ayanna, laren hadnot been supportive since her
daughter's disappearance andbecame controlling and abusive.
The week before his arrest,ayanna told him that a detective
was coming to their home totalk about Alexis and he
reportedly responded what thefuck does he want?
(07:51):
I don't give a fuck about him.
He reportedly responded whatthe fuck does he want?
I don't give a fuck about him.
The arrest warrant also saidthat Ayanna accused Laron of
selling drugs and pimping outwomen.
Over the forthcoming years, ageprogression images showing what
Alexis may look like as she grewinto a young woman were issued
In 2016,.
Police thought they cracked thecase when a man came forward to
say the age progression imageslooked eerily like his ex-wife,
(08:13):
who he said had a very murkypast.
However, dna testing ruled herout.
Each year, ayanna holds abirthday party for her absent
daughter.
She says that until there isevidence to prove that she is
dead, she will live under theassumption that her daughter is
alive and well.
More than 20 years have passedsince Alexis Patterson
disappeared and yet her absenceis still a constant presence in
(08:35):
the lives of those who loved her.
Her mother still clings to hope, her community still feels the
weight of unanswered questions,and her name remains etched in
the heart of Milwaukee.
There were searches, suspectsand even false leads over the
years.
Sightings were reported,theories emerged and
possibilities explored, but nonehave brought Alexis home.
Her case remains open, unsolvedand achingly unresolved.
(09:00):
What happened to Alexis on thatMay morning in 22?
Did someone lure her away?
Did she trust the wrong personor was there something more
complex at play, something stillburied beneath silence and fear
.
We may never know all theanswers, but what we can do is
remember, keep her story alive,keep asking the hard questions,
(09:20):
because children don't justvanish and someone somewhere
knows the truth.
If you know anything about thedisappearance of Alexis
Patterson, no matter how smallit may seem, please contact the
Milwaukee Police Department.
Even the smallest detail couldbe the missing piece.
Thank you for listening toHuman Wreckage.
We tell these stories so thatthey aren't forgotten, because
(09:40):
every child deserves to comehome.
Till next time, take care ofyourselves, thank you, you.
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