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. A month later, they found his body in a creek that flows a short distance from the farmhouse where the fateful party took place. 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. THE OLDEST BROTHER, BUT HE NOT LAUGHTER FOLLOWS MOST STORIES. They were surrounded by cornfields, and woods when they approached the farmhouses long gated driveway. He never returned to his Gardner, Kansas, home. Anyone with any information about what happened to Alonzo on the night of April 3rd 2004 is encouraged to call the FBI at 816-512-8200. There is a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in this case. He'd been at a party near the town, but nobody saw him leave. Alonzos father said he and a family friend were the ones who spotted him. 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. This new examination by a team of the worlds best forensic pathologists and experts establishes it was no accident. The episode did not include that the medical examiner who studiedBrooks' body, Dr. Erik Mitchell, was forced to resign in 1993 from his Syracuse practice [via New York Times]. In the initial investigation, a coroner in Linn County said he was unable to determine a cause of death and witnesses interviews failed to produce any arrests. Funny-Eagle4368 6 days ago. We remain dedicated to uncovering the truth surrounding the murder of Alonzo Brooks and ensuring those responsible are held accountable for their actions.. Share on Twitter Twitter It was a horrible experience, says Roberts. Theres just a lot of red flags to go up immediately. The TV dwarfs the photo of Alonzo Brooks in size, but the photo still holds your attention. 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. Advertisement. With a skull on it. He's my baby, you know." His body was a mere 650 feet from the house that had the party. The FBI added that his death was being investigated as a potential racially-motivated crime. Because of the possibility Alonzo was the victim of a hate crime, the FBI . 2. 7/21/2020 2:02 PM PT. A group of Alonzos friends pulled up to the road in front of the farmhouse and decided to inspect the woodline nearby. [10], On June 11, 2020, the FBI reopened the cold case and issued a $100,000 reward for information related to Brooks' death.[11]. 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. 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. He didn't drown. 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. The death of Alonzo Brooks, whose body was exhumed in 2020 after Netflixs Unsolved Mysteries series brought his case to the forefront, has been ruled a homicide, federal authorities announced Monday. The first . 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. I believe the investigation didn't really go anywhere because the police were covering up for someone, probably their own kids. Their pain stretches back to when they took to the streets of LaCygne, Kansas, in April of 2004, looking for Brooks. McAllister says this triggered him do take another look at the closed file, and it raised enough concerns for him to bring it to the FBI for reopening. Executive Producer and showrunner of the Netflix documentary series,Terry Dunn Meurer, says that Unsolved Mysteriesnow receives thousands of tips. Alonzo Brooks is the focus of an episode of Netflix's Unsolved Mysteries (Photo: Netflix) . So we dont know the cause of death, which is what physically killed him, though we can assume there was some sort of trauma to the body based on that statement, injuries and wounds of some kind. of 1. Maybe one of the people that did something to Alonzo that night was a kid of someone in law enforcement and they proceeded to cover it up. And I know they did. You can leave an anonymous tip about the incident with the Crimestoppers tips hotline. After the coroner ruled his death as undetermined, the case stalled. Anyone with information about Alonzos case is asked to call the FBI at 816-512-8200 or 816-474-TIPS or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. Spreading out across the area, Alonzos uncle Edward Ramirez headed toward a white shed nearby to have a look. Perhaps they saw the situation differently in their young, naive minds, and are now starting to wonder if some things might need to be shared. Almost a month later, Alonzo was still missing when his family organized a search party of approximately 50 volunteers. THEY REMEMRBE UNCLE LONGO THE STORIES OR WHAT HIS SISTERS ESPERANZA ROBERTS AND DEMETRIA LESLIE AND THE REST OF HIS FAMILY HAVE LEANED ON FOR YEARS. A few months later, his death was ruled a homicide. We are doing everything we can, and will spare no resources, to bring those responsible to justice., The FBIs commitment to justice remains at the forefront of each and every investigation, said FBI Special Agent in Charge Timothy Langan. TheUnsolved Mysteries episodedoes not mentioned that Sprague did not leave the party alone, but had a friend with him. Share on Twitter Twitter Andrea Cavallier is a Digital Producer for Dateline NBC. Alonzos family told Dateline that he rode to the party with friends, but they left before he did, leaving him without a ride home. It's a murder mystery that has remained unsolved for 18 years. After the official autopsy performed in 2004 didnt determine a cause of death, Brooks case went nowhere. As they got closer to the party, the roads became more and more rural. "Just really emotional. Subscribe Alonzo Brooks was 23 years old when he went missing after attending a party. In the autopsy, examiners stated that there were injuries that would not be consistent with decomposition. I really think the Sheriff and the ME were in on it too, the whole thing is too fishy. Brooks' mother Maria Ramirez is thankful for the renewed attention and hopes it will finally bring her some answers. Alonzo Brooks was a homebody and neat freak, who loved nothing more than babysitting his nieces and nephews. He was chocked and murdered. I think he seemed defensive of his exam, which makes sense given the criticism he soon would face after this report. She has been declared legally dead. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. Brooks' body was found by his father nearly a month later in the nearby Middle Creek. We knew that Alonzo Brooks died under very suspicious circumstances. Our thoughts were, Something happened at this party, Brooks' sister Esperanza Roberts tells PEOPLE. The examiners report concludes that his death was a homicide. They began on the road near the farmhouse and walked the two branches of Middle Creek. Sign up for PEOPLE's free True Crime newsletter for breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases. The official autopsy at the time didnt determine a cause of death and the case went cold. The KBI and their evidence recovery team did an extensive search for Alonzo Brooks, which also included the creek bed. ", RELATED: Everything Unsolved Mysteries Leaves Out About The Jack Wheeler Murder Case. The new autopsy focuses on injuries to parts of Brooks body that the examiner concluded are inconsistent with normal patterns of decomposition. 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. It is past time for the truth to come out. It's probably a tight knight community, everyone knows everyone, and they all keep their mouths shut. Both the KBI and FBI were unsuccessful in locating Brooks. Looks to me like he was tortured and killed and they concealed the body in the freezer till they could just dump it. Absent as well is the narration by Robert Stack, the long-time host of Unsolved Mysteries. The body was consistent with being in the creek for 30 days but I cant tell the circumstances of how he ended up there Most people who dispose of bodies do it for convenience. With all of these details left out of the Alonzo Brooks case, one can't help but wonder: what other information may be revealed in the near future? 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. 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. Details of the examination are being withheld for investigative purposes. Thank you very much; we appreciate this. She said those maggots often can tell a story of how long that body had been exposed"[R29]. He didn't know many people at the gathering, and was one of three persons of color in attendance in what has been called an aggressively racist area. "He didn't say anything about getting lost. But I have a feeling they will do something this time and get the people or the person who did this to my son., I know he would have had a family and he would have been a good dad, she adds. Il design di Getty Images un marchio di Getty Images. 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 after years of anguish, the family has new hope. I did not like Dr. Eric Mitchell AT ALL in his interview. It's been a mystery for 11 years, 55-year-old JoAnn Matouk Romain found dead in the Detroit River 70 days after disappearing following a church service she attended in Grosse Pointe Farms. 2023, Hearst Television Inc. on behalf of KMBC-TV. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site. In the initial investigation, a coroner in Linn County said he was unable to determine a cause of death and witnesses interviews failed to produce any arrests. Since that heartbreaking, nobody has faced criminal charges in Alonzo Brookss death. Leslie said. The injuries found on Brooks' body were not consistent with typical decomposition and suggest foul play, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said in a statement. My one theory out of this was that somehow this might of been covered up on the law enforcement side. [4], On April 3, 2004, Brooks traveled with three friends to a party in La Cygne, approximately 50 miles (80km) south of Gardner. I am really curious about the what did local kids say about Alonzo and Adam. That didnt make much sense to me. Brooks was 23 years old at the time of his death. When Brooks failed to come home the next day, his family and friends contacted the Linn County Sheriffs Department. As the party continued, Brooks's friends left the party at La Cygne at different times, accidentally leaving Brooks behind due to a perceived misunderstanding on how he would be getting a ride home to Gardner. For starters, according to the NYTimes, Mitchell was pushed to resign from his post as the medical examiner of Onondaga County NY because he overstepped his authority and mismanaged his office. I genuinely believe his friends, because my friends and I have been in those situations at parties before. Justin agreed to take Rodney out to the house in La Cygne since he didnt know the way. Autopsy determines homicide in 17-year-old cold case. KSNT. He said his car had broke down and he had to fix it at the side of the road. Husband Allegedly Hired Brother to Murder His Ex-Wife, a 4th Grade Teacher and Mom to 2 Sets of Twins, L.A. Offering Large Reward in Unsolved Murder of Tioni Theus, Teen Found Dead Along Freeway On-Ramp, Sheriff Offers $500K of His Own Money for Info About Kendrick Johnson's Death After Releasing Unpopular Report, Suspect Identified in Fatal Stabbing of UCLA Student Brianna Kupfer, 24. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. The 23-year-old went to a party in 2004. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, https://www.yelp.com/biz/family-cafe-la-cygne. Now a doctor in Kansas. Uuuuumm WHAT?! 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