'Come home, baby': Family remains hopeful 20 years after Alexis Patterson's disappearance
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- On Tuesday, May 3, the family of Alexis Patterson got together in remembrance of the 20th anniversary of when Patterson went missing.
"I'm going continue to keep her memory going. Absolutely every day until she comes home," said Ayanna Patterson, mother of Patterson.
Patterson went missing on May 3 in 2002 without a trace after her step-father dropped her off at school. She was last seen at Hi-Mount Elementary school in Milwaukee. Throughout the years there have been several theories and potential leads that led police to several states. The family has shared that they currently have no communication with authorities and do not trust them.
"My cousin went missing when I was 10 years old, she was seven. This has been very traumatizing for my family, especially it's been a 20-year thing here and it's brought back up, and the fact that my auntie's voice is not being heard really puts a disturbance in our family even more," said Kiayla Washington, cousin of Alexis Patterson.
Six years ago, officials followed a tip that a woman from Ohio might be Alexis. Police determined the DNA wasn't a match although the woman has strikingly similar features, including matching birth marks.
Ayanna Patterson said she's using this month to bring attention to all missing children with "Alexis Patterson Hear Their Voice" month.
"Hear Our Voices is in honor of Alexis and dedicated to all missing children. So we're not just talking about Alexis, we talking about other missing children. We're talking about children that’s human trafficked," said Patterson.
Throughout the years, Patterson's message to her daughter stays the same.
"Alexis, you know, come home, baby."
Currently, the case is at the hands of the Milwaukee Police Department's cold case unit as well as the FBI.