My one theory out of this was that somehow this might of been covered up on the law enforcement side. The paper objects from his pockets that his mom showed obviously hadnt gotten wet, it makes no sense. When Alonzo didnt return home from the party, his family called authorities in Linn County, Kansas. So hes mixed. They continued to look and found first one boot, then another. AND JUST TSHOWO THAT WE ARE STILL THINKING OF THEM. His body was transported to Dover Air Force Base for examination by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner after it was exhumed, according to the news release from the Federal Bureau of Investigations Kansas City Division. 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. They radioed the group of searched Weve got him, weve got Zo. 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. 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. In fact, an anonymous source reported thatBrooks and his friends had been drinking since noon that day, and they heard of the party through a loose connection. 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. The stories are what his sisters and the rest of his family have leaned on for years. They then went to a strip club and were ejected. There is also at least one more case in the county of this particular investigation, where the defendant was sentenced and is now appealing, based on the defense that Mitchells theory of what happened in that wrongful death of a child case had no reasonable medical or scientific basis, that his testimony was little more than storytelling. 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? SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2010 The Mysterious Death of Alonzo Brooks by Susan Schmitz and Paul Fecteau On a remote back road in Linn County, a desolate farm house and the woods and creek that surround it hold a secret about the death of a young man. I think he seemed defensive of his exam, which makes sense given the criticism he soon would face after this report. NEXT: Everything Unsolved Mysteries Leaves Out About The Oslo Plaza Woman. Both the KBI and FBI were unsuccessful in locating Brooks. Accedi al meglio di Getty Images e iStock grazie al nostro abbonamento. This new examination by a team of the worlds best forensic pathologists and experts establishes it was no accident. KMBC 9 Investigates is cracking open the unsolved case file of Alonzo Brooks. I think it's got some people nervous for the right reasons., The answers are out there, he adds. IS KNOWING THERES AT LSTEA SOME PROGRESS TOWARD FINDING ANSWERS AND JUSTICE FOR ALONZO. She immediately began calling his friends to find him. They made their way across the street when Rodney looked down to find a beanie hat. Their friends were already there and the party was already in full swing so they grabbed their beer and got to it. Im Mexican and his father is Black, Ramirez told NBC Dateline in June. Stephen McAllister, U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas, says he shares the belief of Brooks' family: that he was murdered and that his death was racially motivated. Sprague was one of three friends interviewed along with Fune and Broughard, and he was the one who droveBrooks to La Cygne, which he said was a solid hour away from their home town of Gardner, Kansas. Now, when it's windy outside and my hair get messed up, Ill say All right, stop it, Alonzo. It's time for answers.. 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. "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. ITS IMPORTANT TO KEEP HIM ALIVE. Many theories on Alonzo Brooks' murder focus on the notion of a hate crime or accidental death stemming from an altercation, but no clear evidence can be found that suggests Brooks was in fact murdered. Ramirez said that Sprague "changed his story six times," concerning thenight of the party, and English was affronted by the amendments. When Brooks failed to come home the next day, his family and friends contacted the Linn County Sheriffs Department. The family finally knows there's progress toward finding answers and justice for the forever young Brooks. Either way, the predominant rumor seemed to be that Alonzo was jumped by a group of guys. The Linn County Sheriff's Department launched a search. 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. As part of a continuing federal investigation of Alonzo Brooks death, his body was exhumed and transported to Dover Air Force Base for examination by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner. 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. While searches were being conducted, the KBI also conducted hundreds of interviews with party goers and Alonzos friends. In July 2020, the FBI exhumed his body from his grave at a Topeka cemetery. In 2019, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Kansas and the FBI reopened the investigation of Brookss death, which had been dormant for years. If he drowned, it would have been accidental. One of the accusations in that case is that he removed organs from corpses without the consent of the families. Like, finally, like, you hear us." This new examination by a team of the worlds best forensic pathologists and experts establishes it was no accident. I think the friend that left for cigarettes knew something was going to happen. The FBI is offering a $100,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest in Alonzos murder. It would take a lot to put him down but he's not staying there happy, partying after that.". Instead, he and his companion headed to a gas station where a camera on an ATM captured them withdrawing $200. 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. Not only was there an omission concerning their day-drinking, but Sprague, who was 18 at the time, was reportedly both high and drunk when he leftBrooks at the party, and likely did not include this detail to officers as he had just enlisted in the army and didn't want to risk his career with a DUI. Photo: FBI Alonzo Brooks was a homebody and neat freak, who loved nothing more than babysitting his nieces and nephews. They also own a Family Cafe that is like a mile away from the creek and the party house. YES. They obviously didnt see the trouble Alonzo was in and thats a shame, Im sure they carry a lot of guilt about that night. And their family owned the "Family Cafe" a mile away from the creek. They say theyre now trying to determine if it was racially motivated.There is a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in this case.You can leave an anonymous tip about the incident with the Crimestoppers tips hotline. 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. The link above is where people are talking. 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. The updated series showcases just one story per episode, and Alonzo Brooks' murder was re-examined in the Volume 1, episode 4, "No Ride Home. The FBI is now investigating his murder. They began on the road near the farmhouse and walked the two branches of Middle Creek. 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. Billy said during their search that day, the skies had been overcast and threatened rain. After a period of investigation The KBI sent a letter to the family that said, in part, that no evidence or information came from the investigating indicating that his death was a crime, for this reason the investigation into his death was closed But many people simply didnt agree. Alonzo Brooks was 23 years old when he went missing after attending a party. Assuming you've just watched the Netflix episode. Photo added by J. C. Gorball. Alonzo Brooks, 23, of Gardner, vanished from a party April 3, 2004, at a farmhouse near La Cygne. It was like my boy was telling me everything was OK now, Billy said. Did you encounter any technical issues? It was something you couldn't even fix like that by yourself in the dark like a broken axel or something. Brooks, who lived in Gardner, Kansas, rode to the party with friends. . Agents have spoke with partygoers who have never been interviewed before, and recently began administering polygraphs to witnesses. Go get them FBI. ", "U.S. Attorney, FBI Announce $100,000 Reward in Cold Case", "Unsolved Mysteries gives update on Alonzo Brooks case", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Death_of_Alonzo_Brooks&oldid=1132304105, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 8 January 2023, at 06:39. [13], Deaths of Arnold Archambeau and Ruby Bruguier, "Kansas man Alonzo Brooks' death from 2004 ruled as homicide by FBI", "Alonzo Brooks - View Obituary & Service Information", "FBI, US Attorney announce $100,000 reward in 2004 murder of Alonzo Brooks", "FBI Reopens Investigation Into Death Of Alonzo Brooks, Examined In 'Unsolved Mysteries' Revival", "FBI exhumes body of Alonzo Brooks, whose case was featured in Netflix's 'Unsolved Mysteries', "After 15 years, the Alonzo Brooks case has been reopened by the FBIcan it finally be solved? TheUnsolved Mysteries episodedoes not mentioned that Sprague did not leave the party alone, but had a friend with him. emailStay Connected [1], Alonzo Tyree Brooks was born on May 19, 1980, to Billy Brooks Sr. and Maria Ramirez. and then Chris Trinkle or something? Raccogli, seleziona e commenta i tuoi file. emailStay Connected It is past time for the truth to come out. The first . We knew that Alonzo Brooks died under very suspicious circumstances, said Acting U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard in a news release. Cindy said How many people do you know walk around for two days with no shoes in the rain? Things are starting to fall out of the trees. The 23-year-old was the youngest of five siblings. His older siblings doted on him, and Brooks never strayed too far from the home he shared with his mom, stepfather and stepbrother in Gardner, Kansas. Get FBI email alerts Where was he? If you have any information, call 816-474-tips.More KMBC cold cases: This content is imported from Facebook. So if he was drunk, perhaps tripped and fell WITH his shoes on. According to reports at the time, the Sheriffs Department and other law enforcement agencies searched areas around the farmhouse, including parts of nearby Middle Creek, but did not find Alonzo. Alonzo Brooks did not drown, he was killed. He'd been at a party near the town, but nobody saw him leave. The FBI added that his death was being investigated as a potential racially-motivated crime. https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/kansascity/news/press-releases/new-autopsy-determines-death-of-alonzo-brooks-was-a-homicide, https://www.kcur.org/news/2021-10-13/the-fbi-ruled-this-17-year-cold-case-in-kansas-a-homicide-but-still-no-answers-for-alonzo-brooks-family, https://www.facebook.com/Justice-for-Alonzo-Brooks-555822191216556/, Murdered in Kansas: The Case of Alonzo Brooks, Missing in Minnesota: The Case of Brandon Swanson, Murdered in DC: The Case of the Freeway Phantom, Unsolved in California: The Case of the Keddie Cabin Murders. To find my boy like that. As part of the new investigation, the FBI is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for Brooks death. Justin needed more cigarettes and Alonzo decided to stay at the party, asking Justin to grab him a pack too. Brooks was last seen alive in April 2004 during a party at a house on the outskirts of La Cygne. I don't believe everyone from the party has kept quiet for so long. They left before him and he wound up with no ride home. Now a doctor in Kansas. In the autopsy, examiners stated that there were injuries that would not be consistent with decomposition. Alonzo's 3 sisters and brother describe him as a "kind, sweet, a little shy but playful kid" who was loving and fun. As part of the new investigation, the FBI also announced a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for Alonzos death. 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. Lees Summit Underwater Rescue and Dive Team was brought in. Rodney says they werent tucked under anything, nobody had tried to hide them, it looked to him as if someone had just tossed them out a window on their way out of the driveway. There is a $100,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in this case. TOLD OF ALONSO BROOKS EVEN ONES FROM HIS NIECES AND NEPHEWS. Maria knew this was bad news because it was so out of character for her son. Ottimizza il tuo flusso di lavoro con il nostro miglior sistema per la gestione dei contenuti digitali. 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. The go-to source for comic book and superhero movie fans. The new autopsy focuses on injuries to parts of Brooks body that the examiner concluded are inconsistent with normal patterns of decomposition. He was one of only three African-American men at the party, which 100 or more people attended. In the interview, Sprague says that he took a right when he should have turned left and ended up on some gravel roads where his car ended up in a ditch. When Alonzos big brother Billy came to the area to help search with his wife Cindy, they felt much the same way. 2023 Cable News Network. 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. According to reports at the time, the Sheriffs Department and other law enforcement agencies searched areas around the farmhouse, including parts of nearby Middle Creek, but did not find Alonzo. How does a whole month go by before you allow the family to do any kind of search of there own. Milioni di immagini, video e musica di alta qualit ti aspettano. Share on Twitter Twitter On May 1, 2004,. The examiners report concludes that his death was a homicide. I mean did anybody see Alonso or Adam leaving the party? Because of the possibility Alonzo was the victim of a hate crime, the FBI . From the beginning of his case, rumors swirled that Brooks was a victim of foul play. After the official autopsy performed in 2004 didnt determine a cause of death, Brooks case went nowhere. So they do a search, find nothing then a month later the family goes out and finds them in a 30 minutes to a hour. 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. The FBI is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to a conviction in the death of Alonzo Brooks. Dumping his body there was not convenient. 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. Investigators are hoping that some new incentives will help jog some memories as well. I dont have much more information about the party goers, who the suspects are, who has been cleared, who has passed the polygraphs, any of that.