Nearly 24 years after her daughter disappeared on her way to school, Ayana Patterson says she is ready to take the Milwaukee Police Department to court. Speaking Friday (Feb. 20, 2026), Patterson announced plans to sue the department for $10 million, accusing investigators of misconduct and corruption in the original search for her missing first-grader, Alexis Patterson. She argues the handling of the case caused her severe mental anguish and long-term damage to her reputation.
Patterson and her representative, Ronnie Bo, spoke publicly about the potential lawsuit, telling WISN that they believe police have failed Alexis and her family. “Nobody has done anything effective to bring Alexis Patterson back home,” Bo said. Patterson told the outlet she believes investigators zeroed in too aggressively on her family and mishandled DNA testing that came out of various tips. She also said she still believes Alexis is alive and may be living in Ohio.
According to the Charley Project, Alexis was last seen on May 3, 2002. Her stepfather, LaRon Bourgeois, walked her to Hi‑Mount Elementary and watched her cross toward the playground. The little girl never made it into class. What began as a massive citywide search was later reclassified as a criminal investigation when days and then weeks passed with no trace of Alexis. Over the years, witnesses reported seeing a red pickup truck near the school in the days before she vanished, but investigators were never able to identify the vehicle…