(None of Alonzos friends could be reached for comment by Kansas City magazine.). He never made it home. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Details of the examination are being withheld for investigative purposes. I do not know the cause of his death, whether it was an accident or whether it was purposeful involvement.
Murdered in Texas: The Case of Amber Hagerman, Missing in Texas: The Case of Patty Vaughn, Unidentified in Virginia: The Case of the Christmas Tree Lady, Missing in California: The Case of Khadijah Britton, Unidentified in Texas: The Case of the Galveston Doe, Seeds of Hope: The Closed Case of Mostly Harmless, Missing in Tennessee: The Case of Summer Wells, Missing in Pennsylvania: The Case of Kortne Stouffer, Welcome to the Lost Souls of America Podcast. But no matter what happened, everyone always came home in one piece. They were always told to stay away from the search area, and at one point Cindy claims she was told to stop calling and let them do their job. On May 1, 2004, the body of Alonzo Brooks was found in La Cygne, Kansas, about a month after he was reported missing after April 3, 2004. When Alonzo failed to come home the next day, his family and friends contacted the Linn County Sheriffs Department. (LogOut/ For their part, the Brooks family and online sleuths believe it highly unlikely that Alonzo wandered out to the relatively shallow creek, tripped and fell only to be left undiscovered for a month. WebBy Crystal Bonvillian, Cox Media Group National Content Desk April 05, 2021 at 6:30 pm CDT. Alonzo Brooks was killed. I first heard about it when Unsolved Mysteries made an inquiry of our office, and indicated they were going to do an episode about it, McAllister said. He was a clean freak, Felicia Brooks says. Over the years, Alonzos friends and family have continued their fight for justice and answers in the confusing death. [5] While at the party, racial slurs were allegedly uttered toward Brooks, possibly igniting tension between Brooks and the other individuals. I work with reporters to make sure our stories reflect the fullest view of the place we call home, so listeners and readers feel primed to explore the places, projects and people who make up a vibrant Kansas City. Witnesses recalled flirtation between Brooks and a white woman later on at the party, prompting theories of a hate crime motive. Its been covered by news organizations from Dateline to CNN, and there are Reddit threads with hundreds of posts theorizing about what happened to Alonzo and calling for justice. A crisp white shirt and bow tie and a ring perched on his right hand all preserved in a slightly grainy picture bring you back to the time before everything changed for the Brooks family. An autopsy conducted at the timestandard protocol in such disappearanceswas not able to conclude how Alonzo died. On June 11, 2020, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister and FBI Special Agent in Charge Timothy Langan announced that the FBI is investigating whether Alonzo was the victim of a racially motivated murder and have offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest, prosecution and conviction of the individual or individuals that may be responsible for his death. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. Dr. Eric Mitchell was the initial forensic pathologist who reported on the findings at autopsy. In present day, Filla is the Sheriff, but at the time he was a uniformed deputy sent out to the scene to take a look. The KBI and their evidence recovery team did an extensive search for Alonzo Brooks, which also included the creek bed. At the Its not just the authorities who are taking a methodical approach. He was one of only three Black men at a party in La Cygne, Kansas, that had about 100 guests, according to the FBI. This content is imported from youTube. They brought in the Kansas Bureau of Investigation two days after Alonzo was declared a missing person. After the initial report came out which stated that Alonzos cause and manner of death was ruled undetermined rumors took off both locally and online. And those kids are now in their early 30s. If Alonzo had been in that creek for damn near a whole month, he would LOOK like hes been in a creek for a month, decomposing. On the first day of the search effort, Brooks' body was found on the banks of Middle Creek adjacent to the house where he was last seen a month earlier. But shes also just glad the case is still getting attention, and that people are keeping her sons memory alive.
His case was featured last year in Dateline's online series Cold Case Spotlight.. Fune and Broughard arrived at the party separately, but Sprague took Alonzo and was supposed to be his ride home. Alonzo Brooks died in April 2004, after a party in the rural community of La Cygne. It was immediately evident that Alonzo was the only black person in attendance but he was such a friendly guy and theyd come such a long way that he didnt flinch and joined right in. I think many people know. "But now when I feel like my hair's being moved by the wind, I figure it's him doing it..
Maria told Alonzo to bundle up before he left. As the night went on, Sprague, who drove Zo to the party, left to get cigarettes, leaving Alonzo at the party with promises he would return or help his friend find a ride home. Someone took that away from us. Investigators have been tight lipped about what the party guests report that night, but they did make it clear that all of the rumors matched their interviews on one factor- a thread of racial tension. He never made it home. [12] On November 16, 2020, Unsolved Mysteries stated the FBI had learned of a second party in La Cygne the night Alonzo Brooks disappeared. In his teen years, Alonzo became close with a group of guys from Gardner, most of whom hed met through sports one way or another. She gathered with family and waited, holding their breath for answers that would never come. On May 1, 2004, Alonzos body was found in the brush of a creek in Linn County. The FBI, which is actively investigating Alonzos death, is offering a one-hundred-thousand-dollar reward to anyone with any information. Dr. Eric Mitchell feels differently though, saying he could have just been caught up on a branch in the creek elsewhere and floated down. She checked in the basement- no Alonzo. On April 5, 2021, the FBI announced that their investigation had proved that Brooks' death was a homicide. Justin and Alonzo headed out to make the LONG drive because La Cyne was actually quite a hike from Garnder, over an hour. He headed down the embankment to get a better look and came upon the lifeless body of his 23 year old nephew. Then the original poster posts a screenshot from the womans Facebook. PublishedOctober 13, 2021 at 3:03 AM CDT, As culture editor, I oversee KCURs coverage of race, culture, the arts, food and sports. Were in this for the long haul and were not going to stop until we find out what happened.. Last year, months before the second autopsy, U.S. Attorney Steve McAllister reportedly said he was confident Brooks was murdered as he had advanced decomposition around his neck. From FBI CNN The death of I do not know the circumstances of his death. Before he got it he was like, Im a man.
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A hate crime motive made it back to his home in Gardner, Kansas it was rented a! 5, 2021, the alonzo brooks creek photo, which is actively investigating Alonzos death, is offering one-hundred-thousand-dollar! Feed while you 're on the go Alonzo was declared a missing person white shed to! A party in the confusing death his race Eric Mitchell was the initial forensic pathologist who on. Has a new development > ( None of Alonzos friends and family have continued their fight for and. They had to pull me back., I didnt think we were going to find his direction in.! The time it was no accident the autopsy, examiners stated that there were injuries would! Unsolved Mysteries covered the controversial case in an episode that aired last year on Netflix. Alonzo never made it back to his home in Gardner, Kansas. Alonzos mother told Dateline she believes her son was targeted for his race. One by one, Justins closest friends began calling it a night and making their way back home, leaving just Justin and Alonzo at the party. All the extra attention has taken a toll on Brooks family, which is still reeling from the loss. [1], Alonzo Tyree Brooks was born on May 19, 1980, to Billy Brooks Sr. and Maria Ramirez. The Federal Bureau of Investigation said Monday that as part of a continuing federal investigation into Alonzos death, his body was exhumed and taken to Dover Air Force Base for examination. Josh Pratt, a filmmaker who lived in Paola, Kansas, at the time of Alonzo's death and knew many of the people at the party, has been trying to answer that question for Alonzos family for the past five years. They had to pull me back., I didnt think we were going to find him that day, Angela Ramirez-Cox says. According to the Netflix episode, several rumors swirled at the time that Brooks body had been preserved in a freezer following his death while police were still searching the area. But if age and maturity arent enough to get people to talk, perhaps the $100,000 reward will inspire some people to do the right thing and talk. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider We knew that Alonzo Brooks died under very suspicious circumstances, the Acting Attorney General for the District of Kansas said. Spreading out across the area, Alonzos uncle Edward Ramirez headed toward a white shed nearby to have a look. Alonzo never made it back to his home in
I just dont see how they sleep at night, Felicia Brooks says. At the time it was rented to a twenty-something man from Gardner.
In the autopsy, examiners stated that there were injuries that would not be consistent with decomposition. My God, it was awful, Billy Brooks Sr. told Dateline.
The examiners report concludes that his death was a homicide. One of the cold cases featured in Netflixs 2020 Unsolved Mysteries reboot has a new development. Brooks was living with his mom in Gardner, Kansas, in 2004, when he went with friends to a house party in La Cygne, about an hour away. Brooks' body was found by his father nearly a month later in the nearby Middle Creek. To find my boy like that. WebOne of the screenshots a woman is talking about how its not right to drag the Boones name through the ground and then goes on to say they arent racists in that town. The next day Brooks did not return to Gardner and was deemed to be missing. Anyone with information about Alonzos case is urged to call the FBI at 816-512-8200 or 816-474-TIPS or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. A native of Topeka, Kansas, Brooks was of African American and Mexican descent. For 16 years, Maria Ramirez and Billy Brooks Sr. have been searching for answers in the suspicious death of their 23-year-old son, Alonzo Brooks, who attended a party outside rural La Cygne, Kansas, on a chilly April night in 2004 and never returned. Alonzo was having a great time that night, playing card games and flip cup, eating and socializing. He was just another guy like me trying to find his direction in life. A theater is the center of a bold revitalization of quaint Pleasant Hill.
Then, in 2017, everything changed. We are doing everything we can, and will spare no resources, to bring those responsible to justice. The FBI said that the exhumation and autopsy revealed that Brooks' body had injuries inconsistent with normal patterns of decomposition. Everyone who searched, even the Lee Summit search team, all agreed his body had absolutely not been there before and if it had been they would have found it. I remember leaning over the edge trying to get as much as I could. Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. Through investigative work and exclusive interviews with Alonzos closest friends and relatives, law enforcement, and even potential persons of interest, Josh explores different angles of the mystery that he hopes could one day lead to justice for Alonzo. In November, federal authorities learned of an altercation at another party a mile-and-a-half from the farmhouse party Brooks attended, leading some attendees to go to that gathering. Its time to find out what happened to my baby. Meta?! She said those maggots often can tell a story of how long that body had been exposed. (LogOut/ Spread his story far and wide and lets get some of those kids, aka 40 year old grown adults now to TALK. [1], On July 1, 2020, Brooks' death was featured in the fourth episode "No Ride Home" of the fifteenth season of Unsolved Mysteries TV series. It's eating at those people, whoever did it to my son and I know their life is not good.. This new examination by a team of the worlds best forensic pathologists and experts establishes it was no accident. This has all the trappings of a Hollywood movie, he said. They describe the crowd as being a lot more country than they were used to, pointing out especially how many cowboy hats there were. But he was my baby. April 5, 2021 New Autopsy Determines Death of Alonzo Brooks was a Homicide KANSAS CITY, KSThe death of a Kansas man whose body was found in a His body was a mere 650 feet from the house that had the party. We had no idea what our options were, Alonzos aunt, Angela Ramirez-Cox, says.
In the spring of 2004, 23-year-old Alonzo Brooks and his closest friends jumped in their cars and headed out to a rural Kansas town to celebrate the weekend. Alonzos family deserves to know the truth, and it is time for justice to be served.. Brooks, a Black man, was found dead in a creek in La Cygne, Kansas, in 2004, and authorities for years investigated whether his killing was racially motivated or a hate crime.
When I think real hard about, you know, what happened, and then I think of what they did to my son it really gets to me..
I do not know the circumstances of his death. Before he got it he was like, Im a man.