"I'm Mexican and his father is Black," she told Dateline. [12] On November 16, 2020, Unsolved Mysteries stated the FBI had learned of a second party in La Cygne the night Alonzo Brooks disappeared. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. In fact, it appears that the streaming service's newfound fascination with his fate has also sparked law enforcement's determination to finally solve it. The community is served by Prairie View USD 362 public school district with four schools serving more than 1,000 students. "Morans Old Problem", The Iola Register, 31 January 1959, p.4. Alonzos family deserves to know the truth, and it is time for justice to be served.. Previous Image . La Cygne (pronounced /le sin/ lay SEEN) is a city in Linn County, Kansas, United States,[1] and situated along the Marais des Cygnes River. McAllister appears to take his mission quite seriously, and also seems to have a flair for the dramatic. His mother, Maria Ramirez, still remembers that she had told him to be safe, after all, he was her baby. Unfortunately, his ride home had to leave him and after that, he never made it back home to Gardner. WebZip Code 66040 Map. Verify to immediately update business information, respond to reviews, and more! Chris Trinkle is another man rumored to be involved. We are doing everything we can, and will spare no resources, to bring those responsible to justice." I work with reporters to make sure our stories reflect the fullest view of the place we call home, so listeners and readers feel primed to explore the places, projects and people who make up a vibrant Kansas City. A Facebook page Justice for Alonzo Brooks was created to discuss the case and help spread awareness. All the extra attention has taken a toll on Brooks family, which is still reeling from the loss. But any piece of information is significant and could be the missing puzzle piece we need to solve this case.. I was always trying to protect him.. Rental Cars. Some might feel that this means the body was originally stored elsewhere, and was placed in the creek at some point between the official search and the one organized by the family. 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? Alonzo, who was 23 years old at the time, was getting ready to head out for a party for someone who was leaving to join the Navy. Its time for some answers.. When Alonzo didnt make it home by the next day, his family knew something was wrong. The racial makeup of the city was 96.68% White, 1.43% Native American, 0.27% Black or African American, 0.27% Asian, 0.27% from other races, and 1.08% from two or more races. We are doing everything we can, and will spare no resources, to bring those responsible to justice.. In the days after Brooks vanished, authorities from Linn County, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation became involved. 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. ", It's incredibly hard to investigate a death with very little concrete evidence, and as Netflix's Unsolved Mysteries (via the Cinemaholic) tells us, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation eventually decided to close the case. How badly do the authorities want to solve the murder of Alonzo Brooks? Though we still don't know for sure how Brooks died, these sorts of theories would certainly point toward foul play. The Linn County Journal is an online news service covering Linn County, Kansas Its been 16 years, but we hope that with this passage of time, someone who has information will come forward, Ramana said. It is past time for the truth to come out. What happened to my son? According to an investigation by the FBI, there were approximately 100 people ages of 16-25 at the party and Alonzo was one of only three African-American men in attendance. We just want to know. Wind farms are transforming the Kansas landscape. According to the 2010 census, the population of the small town is just below 1,200 and it is predominantly white, accounting for 97.3% of the population. It offers public water, sewer, and natural gas services to its residents and businesses. [10] The four schools located in the school district are: The Prairie View High School mascot is Prairie View Buffalos. After less than an hour of searching, they found Alonzos body tangled in a brush pile in the creekbed of Middle Creek near the farmhouse. I dont get why. There is one particularly big mystery about the death of Alonzo Brooks. single family home located at 413 Locust St, La Cygne, KS 66040 on sale now for $147000. Brooks was one of only three black people at the party in La Cygne. While Pat and Jerry were much older than the majority of the party-goers, many commenters have stated that it would not be uncommon to find these men at a party at which high school and college aged people were present. Im from Paola but stayed in La Cygne every summer. Find lots and land for sale in La Cygne, KS including acres of undeveloped land, small residential lots, farm land, commercial lots, and large rural tracts. But, thats not what happened. (Featured Image Credit: FBI). Do you live in one of the most racist cities in Kansas? La Cygne was incorporated on January 14, 1870, and a board of trustees was appointed. Someone knows what happened to my son, Maria said. Until 2019, when the Netflix show Official Unsolved Mysteries brought the case to McAllisters attention. To find my boy like that. He is my baby and I cant protect him anymore, but I can do this. One of the screenshots a woman is talking about how its not right to drag the Boones name through the ground and then goes on to say they arent racists in that town. [9], Numerous theories have been offered as to how Brooks died. I know he was 23, but he was my baby, Maria said. His death was certainly suspicious, and someone, likely multiple people, know what happened that night. These towns are open secrets yet they all decided to go to a party in a town they all never heard of, didnt know whose party, then, to take the racists didnt know or do nothing. In the fall of that year the town had grown so that it had inhabitants enough to organize as a city of the third class, and F. A. Foote was elected the first mayor. At an early date La Cygne became a manufacturing point. Im Mexican and his father is Black, Maria said. WebThe body of Alonzo Brooks was exhumed last summer, 16 years after he was found dead. They protect their own down there guilty or not. La Cygne Tourism La Cygne Hotels La Cygne Vacation Rentals La Cygne Vacation Packages Flights to La We missed out on his whole life, Maria said. They have been filtering in from people who claim to have information for years. Finally, Brooks family found his body on a pile of broken tree branches that had collected in Middle Creek, just east of La Cygne and less than 650 feet from the party house. Law enforcement searched the area on the ground and from the air, but no body was found. They killed two. Chasing Chains, LLC. WebThe town of La Cygne knows WHO killed Alonzo. Last April, his death was reclassified as a homicide. Backwards town that would rather protect their own then see justice served. Things snowballed from there, and before you knew, the Department of Justice decided to team up with the FBI to reopen the case. All Rights Reserved. Maria described her son as a good-natured prankster who loved football, animals and playing with his nieces and nephews. Attendees left the party after a fight broke out, then headed to the farmhouse where Alonzo was last seen.[13]. Hate groups can be hard to measure, because typically, theres no record of where they exist. [8] Postmortem examination indicated that Brooks did not have any broken bones, any signs of blunt force trauma or injury, nor any of the biological signs of drowning in his lungs. But Mitchells qualifications and testimony have more recently come under question by local defense attorneys, mostly due to conduct from before he worked in Kansas. Anyone with information about Alonzo Brooks' case is urged to call the FBI at 816-512-8200 or 816-474-TIPS or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. A track for BNSF Railway passes through the city. They killed two. is rumored to be involved. Eventually, the Linn County Police Department turned the case over to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation after failing to locate Brooks. Email me at luke@kcur.org. Unsolved Mysteries shared news of the latest development in a tweet. A town company was organized and purchased 1,400 acres (5.7km2) of land, but had only 140 acres (0.57km2) laid out as a town site. He did not believe that there was any animosity going on. As theU.S.Attorney's Officenotes, the authorities had no cause of death to go by. Additionally, one commenter made a great point about the medical examiner who was interviewed for Unsolved Mysteries. Mandy Jenkins is a niece of either Pat or Jerry and has been alleged to have drunkenly bragged about her uncle's involvement in the murder. Its a picture of her great grand mother, posing in front of a Nazi flag. Pratt now lives in Vancouver, Canada. If you're interested in the case, look it up for yourself and be sure to read the comments! So I gathered up some information about it and started reading about the case.. Alonzos family continues to search for answers in his case. Brooks's body was exhumed in July 2020 and transported to Dover Air Force Base for an autopsy and further investigation by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner. We all watch the news with horror when we hear about a hate crime that happens not that far away from us. We got nowhere with the local authorities they didnt even want to talk to us, Cox said, at her home in Topeka. Honestly, it seems like the family knows. KwiKom offers service in-town and the surrounding rural areas, with the fastest available Fixed Wireless Internet. The per capita income for the city was $15,880. Here's hoping that she's correct. Press J to jump to the feed. The official autopsy at the time didnt determine a cause of death and the case went cold. We are investigating whether Alonzo was murdered, US Attorney Stephen McAllister said in a news release at the time. 28.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.5% were from 25 to 44; 24.3% were from 45 to 64; and 17.1% were 65 years of age or older. He went missing for nearly a month despite search efforts by the sheriffs office and other law enforcement. Mitchells qualifications and testimony have more recently come under question, the FBI offered a $100,000 reward for information. #unsolvedmysteries #Justiceforalonzobrooks https://t.co/5l38xxFr5r. Weve waited so long., Maria told Dateline she visits her sons grave often and always asks him, What happened to you?. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Here's how you know. As KSHB Kansas City tells us, Netflix'sUnsolved Mysteriesbrought plenty of new interest in the case, and a new autopsy was conducted on his exhumed remains. WebDirections: La Cygne Lake lies 5 miles east of the town of La Cygne. 12:18 AM EDT, Tue April 6, 2021. It just led to a kind of, I think, throwing up their hands when they didn't end up with an obvious suspect, he said. I never met Alonzo, but being from the same area and about the same age, I felt some sort of connection to him, Josh told Dateline. I ask the same question every day for 16 years, Maria told Dateline. All those White friends didnt know about the racist town an hour away, or any of their parents or friends didnt warn them. WebLa Cygne, KS Weather Forecast | AccuWeather Wind Advisory Current Weather 9:07 AM 53 F RealFeel 47 RealFeel Shade 45 Air Quality Fair Wind W 14 mph Wind Gusts We knew that Alonzo Brooks died under very suspicious circumstances, said Acting U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard in a news release. In fact, he specifically mentions that he thinks the people in the know are keeping quiet on purpose. WebAlonzo Brooks, 23, attended a party at a house in a rural area outside of La Cygne, Kansas, on the night of April 3, 2004. Up to 90 days of daily highs, lows, and precipitation chances. Its time to find out what happened to my baby. I hope it pushes someone to do the right thing and come forward., Its time, Maria said. So showing my support for their work. Suspected violence, racism, hate crime, and murder, what could be worse? Josh and his team have been working on a documentary and accompanying podcast based on Alonzos case. It defies reason to believe that Alonzos death was a suicide or that he somehow accidentally tumbled into a relatively shallow creek in Linn County, leaving behind his boots and hat, all with no witnesses whatsoever, McAllister said. Cold case: $100K reward offered in case of man found dead in a Kansas creek in 2004, Push for clergy to report abuse stalls in deeply Mormon Utah, Chiefs Chris Jones had a great response to trash-talking Eagles player at coin-toss, Sid the goofy bison has the zoomies and it was caught on camera at South Dakota zoo, Bullying of referees leads to entire student section being thrown out of Iowa game, Tornado of white birds. Over 2 million geese make pit stop in Missouri, photos show, Hawley accuses Biden nominee of lying under oath about her political social media posts, California, beleaguered by earlier storms, gets fresh snow, Supreme Court student loan case: The arguments explained, While California wearies of snowstorms, Northeast greets one, Supreme Court student loan hearing: What you need to know, Man sentenced for shooting at police during Wichita protests. The body of AlonzoBrooks was ultimately discovered in the most tragic way possible. Update: The body of Alonzo Brooks was exhumed this morning. The 1865-1870s movement sought to overthrow Republican state governments. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. It's got twists and turns, it's got possible race relations, it's got young drunkenness, bravado. A second chance Brooks As of the census[9] of 2010, there were 1,149 people, 454 households, and 303 families residing in the city. EVERYONE KNEW THIS MOTTO for several towns over, for years, long before this murder. "Someone knows something, and we are hopeful that with the passage of time and this significant reward this renewed effort will produce results, and provide closure for the Brooks family," Langan states. The suspicious death of Alonzo Brooks in 2004 was featured in the fourth episode "No Ride Home" of the fifteenth season of Unsolved Mysteries TV series in 2020. I totally got those vibes from the episode no namers were mentioned. Of course there was a ton of coverup and pisspoor investigative work. Brooks case got a second chance in 2019, though, when Stephen McAllister, then the U.S. District Attorney for the state of Kansas, decided to take another look. Donnie Abel is a name that has been brought up in several comments. There are three boat ramps in the main lake and one boat ramp in the cooling pool on the east side Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, https://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/20/nyregion/syracuse-medical-examiner-agrees-to-quit-after-inquiry.html. Tiffany Boone (now Tiffany VanNorman) is rumored to be the girl that Alonzo Brooks had an interaction with that night, which is allegedly the inciting event of the murder. It does seem the search and rescue and ME are parsing words carefully chosen by their lawyers. It is reached by traveling east across the dam and then north at the first intersection past the The FBI is offering a $100,000 reward for information about a 16-year-old cold case. A short time later, Alonzos boots and hat were found in the weeds just across the street from the farmhouse where the party had been held. The people involved were some of the best in the field, and the results they were able to uncover were interesting, to say the least. There are still a great many questions about Alonzo Brooks' ultimate fate, but at the moment, we have precious few answers. Then his family searched for Brooks around the farmhouse and found his body in a creek within an hour, according to the FBI. "Some of these kids, who are adults now, may have been scared to come forward before, or may not have known what they saw was important," says Ramana. The code of silence must be broken." Nearby zip codes include 66044, 66086, 66052, 66045, 66025. These were stored in some wooden vaults in the attic and when they were take out, they were displayed in a similar fashion to the photo. His body was found in a creek a month after. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.7% of the population. Brooks aunt Angela Cox is the family spokesperson and runs their Facebook page a part-time job in its own right. What no one has figured out is how Brooks ended up in the creek in the first place. In that initial investigation, McAllister said, There was a lot of activity, all kinds of interview reports, but no strong coordination.. 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. They didnt just target one race. Alonzos father and a family friend were the ones who spotted him. "It defies reason to believe that Alonzo's death was a suicide or that he somehow accidentally tumbled into a relatively shallow creek, in Linn County, leaving behind his boots and hat, all with no witnesses whatsoever," McAllister said. His body was found a month later in a creek. Menu . But I couldnt protect him from what happened to him.. All rights reserved. According to the Kppen Climate Classification system, La Cygne has a humid subtropical climate, abbreviated "Cfa" on climate maps.[8]. It is past time for the truth to come out. "At least we had found him. However, it looks as though a filmmaker has started working with the family on a documentary & podcast that will dive much deeper into the details and possible suspects. "It defies reason to believe that Alonzo's death was a suicide or that he somehow accidentally tumbled into a relatively shallow creek, in Linn County, leaving behind his boots and hat, all with no witnesses whatsoever," he says. wind speeds 207-260 mph) tornado 20.0 miles away from the La Cygne city center killed 3 people and injured 9 people and caused between $50,000 and $500,000 in damages.. On 2/28/2007, I can get justice for him.. After the official autopsy performed in 2004 didnt determine a cause of death, Brooks case went nowhere. It was a private subscription school and was kept open until 1870, when the public school house was built. As NBC Datelinetells us, Alonzo Brooks was the youngest of the five children of Maria Ramirez and Billy Brooks Sr. After his parents divorced, he initially lived and worked in Topeka, Kansas with his father, but he moved in his early 20s to stay with his mother in Gardner, Kansas. So hes mixed. It sure seemed that the investigation of the death of Alonzo Brooks was facing a brick wall. 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. WebThe FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office's District of Kansas are on the case, investigating the death as a possibly racially-motivated crime. KCUR serves the Kansas City region with breaking news and powerful storytelling. Flights. Chacour Koop is a Real-Time reporter based in Kansas City. United States. Anyone with information about Alonzos case is urged to call the FBI at 816-512-8200 or 816-474-TIPS or submit a tip online at tips.fbi.gov. Additionally, the FBI announced last month that they were offering a reward of up to $100,000 to anyone who has information about his death. Netflix isn't the only entity that has expressed interest in the Alonzo Brooks mystery lately. It wasn't how we wanted to find him, but at least we did.". ", "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=1139767168, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 16 February 2023, at 20:15. RoadSnacks is reader-supported. An official website of the United States government. Still, as U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister who is taking point in the Brooks case as of 2020, along withFBI Special Agent in Charge Timothy Langan toldNBC Dateline, these led to nothing. He never made it home. Ill go outside and little things, you know it just could be the wind, and I think thats him messing my hair, Ramirez said. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much For 16 years, Maria Ramirez and Billy Brooks Sr. have been searching for answers in the suspicious death of their 23-year-old son, Alonzo Brooks, who attended a party outside rural La Cygne, Kansas, on a chilly April night in 2004 and never returned. Brooks, 23, went missing on April 3, 2004, after attending a party in La Cygne, Kansas. It took a month for his body to be found, but even then his perpetrators couldnt be caught. Located at 382049N 944544W (38.346841, -94.762171), La Cygne (pronounced luh seen) is a small town that is situated on the east bank of the Marais des [7], The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. It's eating at those people, whoever did it to my son and I know their life is not good.. "He is my baby and I can't protect him anymore, but I can do this," she says. IF It changed the whole dynamic of the family for years, she said. He never made it home. Official websites In a statement by theU.S. Attorney's Office,McAllister goes even further, and makes clear that he doesn't believe for a second that Brooks died unseen and unheard. Here's an effort to tone down their lights, A Kansas City group is paying off traffic fines to help drivers get their licenses back, Kansas City jazz and tap legend Ronald McFadden, half of the McFadden Brothers, dies at 66, Feds Offer $100,000 Reward In Kansas Cold Case That May Have Been Racially Motivated, Activists say Kansas City is in 'a moment of crisis' after racist incidents at local schools. He was one of only three Black men at a party in La Cygne, Kansas, that had about 100 guests, according to the FBI. Some of these kids, who are adults now, may have been scared to come forward before, or may not have known what they saw was important. Alonzos mother, Maria, told Dateline she remembers the evening of April 3, 2004 being a chilly one. Wind farms are transforming the Kansas landscape. They didn't just target one race. Alonzos father believes the reward money will urge someone to come forward. It is 580% greater than the overall U.S. average. U.S. Attorney McAllister said there were numerous reports of multiple fights breaking out and reports of racist comments being made. Nothing can describe that pain.. For one, the coroner who performed Brooks autopsy, Dr. Erik Mitchell, said he couldnt determine the cause of death. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. The first school was taught in 1869 in Cady's hall. When I think real hard about, you know, what happened, and then I think of what they did to my son it really gets to me.. It wasnt how we wanted to find him, but at least we did.. Josh Pratt, a filmmaker who lived in Paola, Kansas, at the time of Alonzo's death and knew many of the people at the party, has been trying to answer that question for Alonzos family for the past five years. Investigators have said that Brooks body got tangled among the branches, and was submerged because of heavy rain that flooded the creek. Apparently this medical examiner has been in hot water for misconduct in the past (check out this article from '93: https://www.nytimes.com/1993/11/20/nyregion/syracuse-medical-examiner-agrees-to-quit-after-inquiry.html). FBI Special Agent in Charge Timothy So if the people involved had important family to the town and the town was known for racism. After Alonzo left that night, Ramirez and Brooks Sr. never saw their youngest son alive again. In July 2020, the Bureau exhumed Brooks body, which was buried in Topekas Mt. WebBuying land in La Cygne. I tried googling it and found he history on sun down towns - is that related? "I know he was 23, but he was my baby," she says. Pat Boone / Jerry Boone - these brothers' names pop up the most in the comments of the blog. According to her, the authorities fully realize that 16 years have passed, but feel that this might actually benefit the investigation. The festivities were held at a home in a rural area outside La Cygne, Linn County. WebLa Cygne-area historical earthquake activity is significantly above Kansas state average. Zip code 66040 is located mostly in Linn County, KS. With the $100,000 reward that the FBI announced in June 2020, the authorities certainly seem to be doing their best to loosen people's lips. I went to grade school in a small Midwestern town and for our 7th grade history project we had to interview local veterans about their experience in the war. Brooks mother, Maria Ramirez, believes her son was targeted for his race. We use data, analytics, and a sense of humor to determine the dirt on places across the country. His friends had found his boots and beanie discarded by the side of the road and it became evident to them that something had happened to him. Being a part of the Kansas City metropolitan area, La Cygne is about an hour away by car from where Alonzo lived at that time. For the FBIs lead agent on the case, Leena Ramana, the reopening was an opportunity to see if new technology could turn up any old clues. Here's an effort to tone down their lights, A Kansas City group is paying off traffic fines to help drivers get their licenses back, Kansas City jazz and tap legend Ronald McFadden, half of the McFadden Brothers, dies at 66.