Alonzo Brooks, 23, disappeared after a party in La Cygne, Kansas, on April 3, 2004, and his body was found in a nearby creek a month later. A 2020 exhumation and autopsy determined his death was a homicide, but no one has been charged.
Alonzo Tyree Brooks was born on May 19, 1980, to Billy Brooks Sr. and Maria Ramirez. A native of Topeka, Kansas, of African American and Mexican descent, he was 23 years old and working as a custodian for Countryside Maintenance in Gardner, Kansas, at the time of his disappearance (Wikipedia).
Disappearance
On April 3, 2004, Brooks traveled with three friends to a party in La Cygne, Kansas, roughly 50 miles south of Gardner. Racial slurs were allegedly directed at Brooks during the party, which may have caused tension between him and other attendees. As the night went on, his friends left the party at different times, and due to a misunderstanding about how Brooks would get a ride home, he was left behind. He did not return to Gardner the next day and was reported missing (Wikipedia).
Investigation
The Brooks family traveled to La Cygne to search for their son and contacted local authorities. The Linn County Sheriff's Office eventually turned the case over to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) after being unable to locate him. Both the KBI and FBI were unsuccessful in finding Brooks. On May 1, 2004, the Brooks family was permitted to search the property where Brooks was last seen. On the first day of that search, his body was found on the banks of Middle Creek, adjacent to the house where he had last been seen a month earlier. An initial postmortem examination found no broken bones, no signs of blunt force trauma, and none of the biological indicators of drowning, so the pathologist at the time could not determine a cause of death (Wikipedia).
On June 11, 2020, the FBI reopened the case as a cold case and announced a $100,000 reward for information related to Brooks's death (Wikipedia; US Department of Justice).
FBI Investigation and Exhumation
In July 2020, Brooks's body was exhumed and transported to Dover Air Force Base, where the Armed Forces Medical Examiner conducted a further autopsy. The examiner's report concluded that Brooks's death was a homicide, citing injuries that would not be consistent with decomposition. Acting U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard stated that while the FBI had long known Brooks died under suspicious circumstances, the new autopsy confirmed his death was not accidental, and said the FBI would spare no resources in pursuing those responsible (Wikipedia; CNN).
Media Coverage
On July 1, 2020, the case was featured in the "No Ride Home" episode of Unsolved Mysteries (season 15, episode 4). On November 16, 2020, the show reported that the FBI had learned of a second party in La Cygne on the night Brooks disappeared, and that attendees left that gathering after a fight broke out before heading to the farmhouse where Brooks was last seen (Wikipedia).
As of the available reporting, no individual has been publicly named as charged in connection with Brooks's death.
Alonzo Tyree Brooks is born to Billy Brooks Sr. and Maria Ramirez.
2004-04-03
Brooks attends a party in La Cygne, Kansas, with three friends and is left behind after a misunderstanding about a ride home.
2004-05-01
Brooks's body is found on the banks of Middle Creek near the house where he was last seen; cause of death could not initially be determined.
2020-06-11
FBI reopens the case as a cold case and announces a $100,000 reward for information.
2020-07
Brooks's body is exhumed and taken to Dover Air Force Base for further autopsy by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner.
2020-07-01
Case featured in the "No Ride Home" episode of Unsolved Mysteries.
2020-11-16
Unsolved Mysteries reports FBI learned of a second party in La Cygne the night Brooks disappeared.
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Kendall Rae / 42 min
The Extremely Suspicious Death of Alonzo Brooks | Someone Knows Something
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Alonzo Brooks
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23-year-old custodian who disappeared after a party in La Cygne, Kansas, and was later found dead; his death was determined to be a homicide following a 2020 exhumation and autopsy.
Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.
Alonzo Brooks, 23, disappeared after a party in La Cygne, Kansas, on April 3, 2004, and his body was found in a nearby creek a month later. A 2020 exhumation and autopsy determined his death was a homicide, but no one has been charged.
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