Why was the body of a young man, missing for a month, found in the same area that was searched extensively by law enforcement?

CASE DETAILS

Alonzo Brooks

Alonzo Brooks didn’t have a single enemy. In fact, he seemed to be everybody’s “best friend.” He was a homebody who preferred being with family, listening to music, and watching sports with his buddies. Friends were always welcomed in the Brooks’ suburban Kansas home – his mom, Maria, describes her family as “a United Nations” of colors and ethnicities.

On the evening of April 3, 2004, Alonzo, and a half dozen of his buddies, jump in their cars and head to a keg party at a farmhouse, in the small, rural town of LaCygne, Kansas, about 45 miles away. Alonzo doesn’t have a license, so he rides with his friend, Justin. What they think will be just a small gathering, quickly grows into a party of at least 100 people, from nearby towns, who they don’t know. Alonzo is one of only a couple of black men there.

Alonzo and his friends go to a party in LaCygne, Kansas

Alonzo’s friends say he was having a great time that night. As it grows late, Alonzo’s friends begin to leave, and each thought someone else would be giving Alonzo a ride home. The next morning, when one of the friends calls his house, Alonzo’s mother tells them that Alonzo never returned from the party, which was extremely out of character for a guy who never slept anywhere but in his own bed.

Alonzo’s friends say he was having a great time

Alonzo’s friends and family race to LaCygne to search for him, but find only his boots and hat in the weeds across the road from the long driveway to the farmhouse. Nobody at the farmhouse or in the small town claims to have seen Alonzo. Rumors quickly surface that racial slurs and threats were tossed around at the party, after Alonzo’s friends left…that Alonzo was flirting with a white girl and was dragged or chased down the driveway and murdered…that he was beaten to death…that he went swimming in the nearby creek and drowned.

Alonzo never comes home from the party

Although local law enforcement searches the area around the farmhouse multiple times, Alonzo isn’t found. Then a month later, when his family organizes their own search, Alonzo’s body is discovered within a half hour, in the same area the local sheriff had already searched. Alonzo is found fully clothed, laying on top of a debris pile in the creek, just 250 feet from the farmhouse. Friends and family who find him say he appeared to have only mild decomposition, considering he’d been missing for a month. This leads to more rumors that Alonzo’s body was kept in a freezer, then placed in the creek for his family to find. Although the coroner cannot confirm a cause or manner of death, the FBI has reopened Alonzo’s case and is now offering a $100,000 reward for information about his disappearance.

A month later, searchers find Alonzo’s body in a creek

Rumors have filled internet message boards with claims that Alonzo’s unexplained death was a hate crime involving the area’s youth. Though law enforcement interviewed dozens of party-goers, the family is begging someone to offer up information. The silence is deafening.


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5 Comments

  1. Dani

    When I saw this episode, I couldn’t believe it. I mean the law enforcement mentioned how they were searching extensively for the body and used search dogs, etc. When FBI was brought in and KBI and did not get any results whatsoever, who are they playing? Are you serious about not finding any credible persons? If there was a party and something happened, you bet someone for sure saw something and heard something also. Small towns or rural areas such as that, nothing goes missing. Everyone knows everyone, everyone is in everyone’s business. Random party? Eh I don’t think so. Especially with what is happening today. . .BLM. This family deserves justice and peace of mind. I think it was wrong that the FBI or any law enforcement considers this case closed. It’s not. They just don’t want to use any more resources ($$).

  2. Nat

    If that town is racist then the police force is absolutely racist. I can understand how the searches didn’t show anything if Alonzo’s body was placed there after-the-fact but for that examiner to compose himself in that manner (he has a history of misconduct btw) is incredibly sketchy. How was their investigation credible and why have there been seemingly no consequences to their pisswork investigation? BLM. Alonzo and his family deserve justice.

  3. Chrystel

    Bonjour, je pensse que la police qui a mener l’enquête en premier,a pus cacher des indice. Dans les petit village tout le monde se connaît, et la police connaît sûrement le suspect. Et préfère le couvrir que de résoudre l’enquêteur. Et vu qu’ils sont tous raciste la bas en +. Honte à eux. Et pourquoi il on interdit à la famille de cherché ?? Et qu’il ont pus y allé 1 moi après….. La réponses pour que la scène de crime ainssi que le Corp se dégrade, et que les preuve partente avec le temp. Trop de chose louche

  4. Andres

    Yo creo que Alonzo simplemente trato de escapar, y que la policía claramente no busco, sea por la razón que sea. Ya sea porque el era negro o porque no lo tomaron enserio, o no lo vieron.

    La posibilidad de haber sido encerrado en un freezer es poco probable ya que no verifican los gusanos que tenia en su ropa.

    I believe that Alonzo was simply trying to escape, and that the police clearly weren’t looking for it, whatever the reason. Either because he was black or because they didn’t take him seriously, or they didn’t see him.

    The possibility of having been locked in a freezer is unlikely since they do not verify the worms that he had in his clothes.

  5. Maggie

    I’m sad for Alonzo and his family. I hope his killer is brought to justice!