Alexis Patterson vanished one month before Elizabeth Smart. Here’s how their cases differ.
Elizabeth Smart is white. She was found nine months after her abduction. Alexis Patterson is Black – and still missing.
Twenty years ago, as police worked to locate the two girls, some advocates and experts argued that race was a key factor in how authorities and reporters handled their cases. It marked the first time the national media paid serious attention to such disparities.
Read the investigation: Alexis Patterson has been missing since 2002. Odds are you don’t know her story.
Anyone with information about Alexis Patterson is asked to contact the Milwaukee Police Department at 414-935-7360. If you wish to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-TIPS or use the P3 Tips app.
Help USA TODAY investigate disparities in missing children cases. 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. Use this form to tell us your story.
Share your story: The USA TODAY Network is investigating disparities in missing children cases.
Contact Gina Barton at gbarton@gannett.com, via Signal at 262-757-8640. Follow her on Twitter at @writerbarton.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Alexis Patterson, Elizabeth Smart: How the missing child cases differ
