His report was as follows: Alonzo wasnt in the house, we walked the creek bed that night, there was no indication that he was there. Required fields are marked *. Yes, but there are no specific anatomical signs to show drowning. Now I want to take a quick moment here to interject some personal opinion, which I know I dont usually do at this point in the story telling, but since the forensic pathologist is obviously not a person of interest in the crime itself, Im gonna.. That changed three years ago when the U.S. attorney in Kansas, prompted by questions from producers of a documentary film, asked the FBI to take another look at his case. I genuinely believe his friends, because my friends and I have been in those situations at parties before. Cindy said How many people do you know walk around for two days with no shoes in the rain? One such rumor was that a white girl at the party had been flirting with Alonzo. [3] At the time of his disappearance, he was 23 years old and working as a custodian for Countryside Maintenance in Gardner, Kansas. He has to warm up to you. The FBI is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to a conviction in the death of Alonzo Brooks. This new examination by a team of the worlds best forensic pathologists and experts establishes it was no accident. "Tell me where he's at. Their pain stretches back to when they took to the streets of LaCygne, Kansas, in April of 2004, looking for Brooks. I guess that's what they were talking about. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. On April 3rd, 2004, 23-year-old Alonzo Brooks left his home in Gardner, Kansas, and told his mother, Maria, he was headed to a party with friends. At least we had found him. He also says that as they were searching in the brush on the side of the road, someone came down from the farmhouse on a four wheeler and told them to leave. Like, finally, like, you hear us." It was a horrible experience, says Roberts. Get FBI email alerts FBI.gov is an official site of the U.S. Department of Justice. After Alonzo had been missing for almost a month, a group of his family and friends organized a search. He is the son of the judge. Another man was convicted of murder based on Mitchells testimony, and was later exonerated after serving 12 years when Mitchell changed his testimony to say that the death was actually suicide, not murder. AND JUST TSHOWO THAT WE ARE STILL THINKING OF THEM. Yes, but the soft tissue was gone. Agents have spoke with partygoers who have never been interviewed before, and recently began administering polygraphs to witnesses. There ought to be a way to give this family peace.. The mysterious death of 23-year-old man Alonzo "Zo" Brooks is highlighted in Unsolved Mysteries, and while the episode offered a thorough review of the case, many details were omitted. No. The night of April 3rd 2004, one of Alonzos friends had heard about a house party in La Cygne Kansas to say goodbye to a guy who was heading off to the service. Billy got a call from his uncle with his location, and he ran down toward his brothers body. "He didn't say anything about getting lost. Alonzo Brooks was killed. That's why he abandoned him and cant talk straight. They began on the road near the farmhouse and walked the two branches of Middle Creek. Whenthe young man's bed was empty the next morning, his mother Maria Ramirez called the police. Details of the examination are being withheld for investigative purposes. The stories are what his sisters and the rest of his family have leaned on for years. The mysterious 2004 death of Alonzo Brooks in Kansas whose case was profiled on the recently rebooted "Unsolved Mysteries" has been ruled a homicide following a new autopsy. I do not know the circumstances of his death. Though the length of time during whichBrooks' body was exposed to the elements is under dispute, his clothes reveal truths. Alonzo Brooks was killed. I think it's got some people nervous for the right reasons., The answers are out there, he adds. of 1. No Thanks We are doing everything we can, and will spare no resources, to bring those responsible to justiceThe new autopsy focuses on injuries to parts of Brooks body that the examiner concluded are inconsistent with normal patterns of decomposition. Some said Brooks may have flirted with a girl, some said drunken white men wanted to fight an African-American male, and some said racist whites simply resented Brooks presence, the FBI said. . I wish he hadn't gone [to the party]. The family finally knows there's progress toward finding answers and justice for the forever young Brooks. In an interview, Susan Schmidt [viaReddit],a blogger forCold Case Kansas,discussesan article written for her site about Brooks in September of 2010. None of them were really close with anyone at the party, just a couple acquaintances I think, but it was something to do. The 23-year-old went to a party in 2004. For a month, family and friends combed through nearby woods and pastures. Alonzo Brooks, 23, of Gardner, vanished from a party April 3, 2004, at a farmhouse near La Cygne. Some of them are not credible, but those that bear weight are passed along to law enforcement, and he has reported thatBrooks'case is the one for which the show has received the most emails. But when they found Alonzos body, the skies cleared and the sun came out. As they got closer to the party, the roads became more and more rural. He says there were no penetrating injuries as cause of death, no evidence of acute bone fracture, no evidence of a sharp force injury, no gun shot., He goes on to say Could he have drowned? Alonzo Brooks did not drown, he was killed. That place is getting some mighty interesting Yelp reviews. Andrea Cavallier is a Digital Producer for Dateline NBC. The body of 23-year-old Alonzo Brooks was found in a creek in La Cygne, Kansas in 2004. His closest group of friends that he went to the party with all say they were interrogated for hours a day, for days on end, and were all more than willing to cooperate in any way possible. These are important cases, and we really hope that the exposure brings renewed interest and encourages viewers to come forward.. How does a whole month go by before you allow the family to do any kind of search of there own. She started walking around the house, yelling and looking for him with no answer. emailStay Connected The 23-year-old was the youngest of five siblings. U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllistersuggested to People Magazine that Likely multiple people know what happened that night in April 2004. It took him 30 minutes to drag the car out, and by that time he didn't want to return to the party. Brooks' death still weighs heavily on the minds of his mother and other loved ones. Since that heartbreaking, nobody has faced criminal charges in Alonzo Brookss death. Justin popped in and said hi to his mom, and he remembers specifically that Alonzo was lacing up his boots extra carefully with his sock rolled for some more support, because the week before hed twisted his ankle playing basketball and it was still bothering him. His case was featured last year in Dateline's online series Cold Case Spotlight.. I did not like Dr. Eric Mitchell AT ALL in his interview. The Linn County Sheriff's Department launched a search. She has been declared legally dead. Two of the guys involved killed themselves over the guilt and the other 2 still wont say anything. Let me know. His friends all woke up to their phones going off while everyone was reaching out to each other to find Alonzo. Laughter follows most stories told of Brooks, even from his nieces and nephews. While searches were being conducted, the KBI also conducted hundreds of interviews with party goers and Alonzos friends. Alonzos favorite hat! The 23-year-old was last seen alive in April 2004 during a party at a farmhouse on the outskirts of La Cygne. Could he have been strangled? If you have any information, call 816-474-tips.More KMBC cold cases: This content is imported from Facebook. . As a result, his body was exhumed for another autopsy. The paper objects from his pockets that his mom showed obviously hadnt gotten wet, it makes no sense. He's faintly smiling, dressed in a tux. Affidati allesperienza internazionale di Getty Images, alla nostra capacit di analisi dei dati e alla rete di oltre 340.000 creativi per creare contenuti in esclusiva per il tuo brand. But one major question that no one could seem to answer was WHY hadnt Alonzo been found in the 27 days since hed been missing! Netflix's version varied from the original format of the show in that it focused on mainly true crime reporting, featuring interviews from real friends and family of victims rather than simply having actors reenact events. ", RELATED: Everything Unsolved Mysteries Leaves Out About The Jack Wheeler Murder Case. I really didnt understand why they searched the creek at night either why not come back in the morning and do it during daylight? Alonzo Brooks was 23 years old when he went missing after attending a party. 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. Things are shaking loose, he says. Even his autopsy couldn't pinpoint a cause of death. Share on Facebook Facebook Share on Twitter Twitter After Alonzo had been missing for almost a month, a group of his family and friends organized a search. According to the release, the new autopsy focuses on injuries to parts of Alonzos body that the examiner concluded are inconsistent with normal patterns of decomposition. Daniel Fune and Tyler Broughard, two of the friends who attended the party, said in the Netflix documentary thathe wasn't prone to let that sort of thing bother him. Since that heartbreaking, nobody has faced criminal charges in Alonzo Brookss death.No information from the hundred or so people at that party led to an arrest. Alonzo wasnt a social-butterfly type, his best friend Rodney English tells PEOPLE in this weeks issue. 2. The next day Brooks did not return to Gardner and was deemed to be missing. Justin realized he was leaving Alonzo a little stranded, so he called his friend Adam who was still there and asked him to drive Alonzo home. Details of the examination are being withheld for investigative purposes. Justin says when he left, he was having a great time so he took off and said be right back. With a skull on it. New autopsy report reveals 2004 death of Alonzo Brooks was a homicide 17 years after his body was found in a creek in rural KansasNBC News New autopsy report reveals Alonzo Brooks death in 2004 was a homicide Fox 4 / Fox4KC / WDAF-TV Logan smith. He was the youngest of 5 children, and though it frustrated him to be the baby of the family when he was young, it made him especially close with his mother Maria Ramirez. According to Meurer, she was contacted by an entomologist who suggested looking into the maggots found on the body: "She was looking at these photos of Alonzos clothing and there were maggots on that clothing. People also wrote in to attest to how racist the town could be. When Brooks failed to come home the next day, his family and friends contacted the Linn County Sheriffs Department. "It's important to keep him alive and to show that we are thinking of him," Roberts said.The Brooks family has been searching for answers since he went missing all those years ago. He was several years younger than the rest of his siblings, and as a result, Maria tended to be overprotective with him. Where was he? But in 2019, the Department of Justice and FBI reopened the investigation into his death. "It's kind of, like, a relief. Was he hoping to find a open store? When Brooks didnt return home that night, English and a couple of members of Brooks' family drove to the outskirts of tiny La Cygne, about an hour away, to the farmhouse where the party was held. For more on Alonzo Brooks' death and his family's quest for answers, subscribe now to PEOPLE or pick up this weeks issue, on newsstands Friday. The circumstances surrounding Brooks's death are mysterious, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation continues to investigate whether or not he was a victim of a hate crime. As his siblings got older and moved out, Alonzo and his mom moved to the town of Gardner outside of Topeka. NEARBY WOODS AND PASTURES BUT NOTHING. He said his car had broke down and he had to fix it at the side of the road. I found him to be cold and have a complete and total absence of empathy. His family has worked to preserve his memory during their long wait for justice. For three weeks, the family called the KBI every single day. Death of Alonzo Brooks 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. TELL ME YOU KNOW WHERE HE' AT. Go get them FBI. He was one of only three African-American men at the party, which 100 or more people attended. 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. Law enforcement were called and searched the area but couldnt find Brooks, who was only one of three Black men at the party of 100 or so that night. Leslie said. In July 2020, the FBI exhumed his body from his grave at a Topeka cemetery. Says sister Demetria Leslie, Hes shy. Somebody did something to him, she tells PEOPLE. The examiners report concludes that the cause of death was homicide. No family should have to ever go through anything like that.. She said those maggots often can tell a story of how long that body had been exposed"[R29]. Traumatic, you know," Brooks' father, Billy Brooks Sr., told KMBC in the days following his son's disappearance. Alonzo Brooks. Alonzos father said he and a family friend were the ones who spotted him. KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KWCH) - The death of a Kansas man . The Linn County Sheriffs Department launched a search. But Dr. Eric Mitchells past was causing some to question his qualifications and testimony. Names that cropped up while I was researching the Alonzo Brooks murder - Logan, Donnie Abel, Jerry Boone, Pat Boone their sister Lisa Elmore was involved (could be the girl he hit on), Judge Smith's son??? [8] Consequently, the pathologist could not determine a cause of death. In March of 2019, Unsolved Mysteries contacted the US District Attorney at the time for the State of Kansas, Stephen McAllister in order to gather information for their upcoming episode on the young mans mysterious death. Thank you very much; we appreciate this. Brooks' body was found by his father nearly a month later in the nearby Middle Creek. The KBI and their evidence recovery team did an extensive search for Alonzo Brooks, which also included the creek bed. That man was released from prison and died a few months later. The new autopsy focuses on injuries to parts of Brooks body that the examiner concluded are inconsistent with normal patterns of decomposition. Here's How to Never Pay Full Price on Amazon, 10 Amazing Products That Will Help You Keep Your New Year Resolutions, 20 Best Candles on Amazon to Instantly Warm Your Home. Brooks' mother, Maria Ramirez, told KMBC in the days following her son's disappearance. IS KNOWING THERES AT LSTEA SOME PROGRESS TOWARD FINDING ANSWERS AND JUSTICE FOR ALONZO. Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. Justin agreed to take Rodney out to the house in La Cygne since he didnt know the way. 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. Photo added by J. C. Gorball. ONE MONTH LATER. It wasnt until a month later, after a group of his family and friends organized their own search, that his body was found on top of a pile of brush and branches in the creek, according to the FBI. Throughout the evening, some of his friends say that there was a touch of racial tension in the air, but it didnt seem to bother Alonzo. Time to stop protecting your highschool boyfriends secret, time to face that nagging guilt you feel every night, time to TALK. We need to get on the phone and talk to people. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? I had a number of questions and theories. Another point made aboutBrooks that was later denied by his friend English was that the racial tension going around at the party didn't upset him. Federal Authorities Exhume Body of Alonzo Brooks, Whose 2004 Death May Have Been Racially Motivated, Alonzo Brooks' Family Sought Help When He Disappeared in 2004, But Instead Got Racial Abuse, Alonzo Brooks' Cause of Death Ruled a Homicide in New Autopsy After Body Exhumation: 'It Was No Accident', Mystery Surrounds Killing of Fla. Bartender Who Was Found Slain in Apartment Nearly 2 Weeks Ago, Pennsylvania Dad Ambushed, Fatally Shot While Pumping Gas in Broad Daylight, 10 Dead in 'Racially Motivated' Mass Shooting at Buffalo Grocery Store, Suspect in Custody, 'People Magazine Investigates' : Inside Decades-Old Disappearances of 5 People Along the Snake River, How a College Student Cracked the 57-Year-Old Unsolved Murder of a 9-Year-Old Pennsylvania Girl, Ala. I find it hard to believe the murder of Alonzo is an open secret in La Cygne - even in a small town of ~1000 people or so, someone would have talked by now. Photo: U.S. Attorney's Office in the District of Kansas via FBI (Photo courtesy of the FBI) The mysterious death of Alonzo Brooks caught national attention after his story was featured on. What you are about to read is not a news broadcast. You have to wait 48 hours. Alonzo Brooks' death is ruled a homicide after it was featured in Netflix's Unsolved Mysteries and his body was exhumed 16 years after being found dead in a creek Brooks, 23, disappeared. KMBC cold case: In 2004 Alonzo Brooks went to a party, never to make it home again, LONG WAIT FOR JUSTICE. Yeah I finished watching it. He was one of only three African-American men at the party, which 100 or more people attended. Traumatic, you know," Brooks' father, Billy Brooks Sr., told KMBC in the days following his son's disappearance. Multiple people know what happened that night in April 2004 during a.! July 2020, the FBI exhumed his body from his nieces and nephews people... N'T gone [ to the party, the answers are out there, he was one of three! Family and friends organized a search if you have any information, 816-474-tips.More! The sun came out Alonzos father said he and a family friend were the ones who spotted him with! 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The KBI and their evidence recovery team did an extensive search for Alonzo everyone was reaching out the... 23 years old when he left, he adds family has worked to preserve his memory during long! What they were talking about autopsy focuses on injuries to parts of Brooks 23!, of Gardner, vanished from a party, the roads became more more... Fbi.Gov is an official site of the road during their long wait for Justice that! Long wait alonzo brooks creek photo Justice you hear us. some mighty interesting Yelp reviews was causing some question. Took him 30 minutes to drag the car out, and he to! And recently began administering polygraphs to witnesses three weeks, the Department of Justice and FBI reopened the into. Ongoing trial coverage and details of the examination are being withheld for investigative purposes the 2... Social-Butterfly type, his mother and other loved ones autopsy focuses on to... Kwch ) - the death of a Kansas man his clothes reveal.. Out about the Jack Wheeler Murder case out about the Jack Wheeler Murder case for weeks. It was no accident finding answers and Justice for Alonzo Brooks, which 100 or people! # x27 ; body was exhumed for another autopsy get on the phone and talk to Magazine! Than the rest of his family have leaned on for years around the in... Other to find Alonzo are inconsistent with normal patterns of decomposition road near the and. Cavallier is a Digital Producer for Dateline NBC his nieces and nephews he went missing after a. Of time during whichBrooks ' body was exposed to the streets of LaCygne, Kansas in 2004 a of. The length of time during whichBrooks ' body was exhumed for another autopsy FBI is offering a $ 100,000 for... April of 2004, at a farmhouse near La Cygne since he didnt know the of... Like, you know walk around for alonzo brooks creek photo days with no answer in Brookss! Out to each other to find Alonzo fix it at the party, the FBI is a! Were the ones who spotted him still weighs heavily on the minds of his death to to... Cavallier is a Digital Producer for Dateline NBC with the latest crime coverage, from... Parts of Brooks body that the cause of death was homicide said he and family! Are still THINKING of THEM the FBI is offering a $ 100,000 reward for information leading to a April... Yes, but there are no specific anatomical signs to show drowning are what sisters. Wet, it makes no sense in Alonzo Brookss death the examiners concludes. Related: Everything Unsolved Mysteries Leaves out about the Jack Wheeler Murder case preserve his memory during their long for... Abandoned him and cant talk straight African-American men at the party because my friends and i have been those. For breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing Unsolved.. Fbi reopened the investigation into his death the examination are being withheld for investigative purposes was last seen in! Cleared and the rest of his death people in this weeks issue he left he. That Likely multiple people know what happened that night in April of,! On injuries to parts of Brooks, 23, of Gardner outside of Topeka extensive search Alonzo! That place is getting some mighty interesting Yelp reviews gotten wet, it makes no sense and total of! With partygoers who have never been interviewed before, and he ran down toward his brothers body searched... Memory during their long wait for Justice night either why not come back in the morning and do during! Two branches of Middle creek his friends, because my friends and i have been in those situations at before! The forever young Brooks you know walk around for two days with no answer wish had! Rumor was that a white girl at the side of the worlds best forensic pathologists and establishes! During whichBrooks ' body was exhumed for another autopsy alonzo brooks creek photo administering polygraphs to witnesses coverage and of! Is not a news broadcast not a news broadcast i genuinely believe his ALL.
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