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Alonzo Brooks's body exhumed after Netflix series on 16-year-old cold case gives cops new leads

The Netflix episode about his disappearance and death is called 'No Ride Home', and got so many people talking that the FBI has reopened his case
PUBLISHED JUL 22, 2020
(FBI)
(FBI)

TOPEKA, KANSAS: Netflix had in its series 'Unsolved Mysteries', reopened a cold case from US history. It was the story of Alonzo Brooks, who was found dead in rural Kansas back in 2004. The 23-year-old's body was discovered from a creek weeks after he had attended a party in LaCygne which is located on the eastern edge of Kansas, KSNT reveals.

Police have now exhumed the body of Brooks on Tuesday morning, July 21, from a Topeka graveyard. The FBI reopened the cold case which is around 16 years old and has now listed it as a hate crime. According to the family, many tips have come in ever since Netflix's documentary on the case released. 

According to a spokesman for the US Attorney's Office, Jim Cross revealed on July 21, "I can confirm the body was exhumed today as part of the Brooks investigation."

It was only last month where it was reported that the FBI announced that a $10,000 reward for answers regarding Brooks's murder. As reported by TMZ, Brooks was at the party on April 3, 2004 with some friends and was believed to be one of the few Black people. Witnesses said that the crowd had been mostly white, redneck types of people. A friend of Brooks revealed that he had almost got into a fight with another guy over a girl. He still stayed at the party even though his friends left and was never to be seen again. The next day, Brooks's boots and hat were discovered across the road from the house party. 

His body was not found until May 1, 2004, in a nearby creek. We had earlier reported that friends and family members were repeatedly denied permission to look for his body and were told they would interfere with the investigation. However, when they were finally given the go-ahead 27 days later, they found his body just a few hours into their hunt. It was already very decomposed and the coroner was unable to determine a cause of death.

Brooks' case was shown as a part of Netflix's 'Unsolved Mysteries'.  The episode highlighting Brooks's case titled 'No Ride Home' had aired on July 1 and during the first 24 hours post the episode arriving on the streaming service the FBI received "at least three credible tips" linked to the case. It has also been said that FBI had received 20 other tips in relation to other cases that are featured in the first six episodes of the show. 

FBI Special Agent in Charge Timothy Langan also announced that FBI is offering a reward of up to $100,000 to anyone who has information about Brooks's disappearance. Langan shared, "There are many unanswered questions that surround Alonzo's death. 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."

Brooks' Maria Ramirez, told NBC Dateline that she and the family have believed that Brooks' death did have a racial component. "I'm Mexican and his father is Black. So he's mixed. They didn't just target one race. Or kill one race. They killed two. He was targeted because of the color of his skin."

An FBI agent, Leena Ramana said, "It's been 16 years, but we hope that with this passage of time, someone who has information will come forward. 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."

"But any piece of information is significant and could be the missing puzzle piece we need to solve this case."

If you know anything, call the FBI at 816-512-8200 or 816-474-TIPS. 

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