EDIT: Thank you for all the questions. That's all I have time to answer today. You can read all of my work here https://www.usatoday.com/staff/2647742001/gina-barton/

During my first week as reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in 2002, the biggest story by far was the disappearance of Alexis Patterson, 7 years old and Black, who vanished on her way to school. A month later, Elizabeth Smart was kidnapped from her bedroom in Utah, sparking a conversation in our newsroom about why Elizabeth’s case got so much more national media attention than Alexis’ and whether race played a role. Through the years, I’ve stayed in touch with Alexis’ mother, who believes her daughter is alive and will someday be found. I want to help make that happen if I can, and I want to do my part to help other missing children whose stories have yet to be told. The story I wrote to kick off the project can be found here.

I have more than 15 years of experience as an investigative reporter . In 2012, my reporting on the death of Derek Williams in Milwaukee police custody prompted the medical examiner to change the cause of death from natural to homicide. For that investigation, I was honored with a George Polk award. I am also the producer and host of the national Edward R. Murrow Award-winning podcast Unsolved, which will feature Alexis Patterson’s case in season 4.

You can follow me on Twitter: @writerbarton

PROOF: https://i.redd.it/mjbytvrt8yz81.jpg