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The Alonzo Brooks Case From 'Unsolved Mysteries' Has Been Reopened By FBI

Ciara Sheppard

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The Alonzo Brooks Case From 'Unsolved Mysteries' Has Been Reopened By FBI

Featured Image Credit: Netflix

*Warning: This article contains some graphic content.*

Alonzo Brooks' case from Unsolved Mysteries has been reopened by the FBI.

The case of the 23-year-old who went missing after a party in 2004 was featured in episode four of the hit true crime reboot, No Ride Home.

It told of Brooks who didn't return to his home in Gardner, Kansas, the night of a party he attended with friends, 50 miles south in the small town of La Cygne.

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Alonzo's mother Maria Ramirez's anguish was hard to ignore in the episode (Credit: Netflix)
Alonzo's mother Maria Ramirez's anguish was hard to ignore in the episode (Credit: Netflix)

According to friends, Alonzo was the only black man at the party and during the night tensions arose between him and some of the other attendees.

After miscommunications about how Alonzo would be getting home, he was left at the party and didn't manage to find his way back.

The following day, frantic searches commenced and friends took Alonzo's best friend Rodney back to the location of the party, where they found Alonzo's two shoes and hat at separate locations by the side of the road.

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Over the next month, police searched the area of the party, spoke to witnesses in the small, predominantly-white town and even conducted searches of the nearby creek with no luck.

Almost a month later, police allowed the desperate Brooks family to conduct their own search, and within an hour of setting off, they found Alonzo's body by the side of the creek.

Alonzo's body was found by the creek (Credit: Netflix)
Alonzo's body was found by the creek (Credit: Netflix)
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An autopsy found the cause of death to be "undetermined" but evidence suggested he hadn't floated up the creek, which police thought may explain why his body had appeared in a place they insist they'd searched.

Alonzo's friends and family believe his body was placed there after the fact and that his murder was a hate crime.

NBC report that on June 11th, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister and FBI Special Agent in Charge Timothy Langan announced in a press conference that they were reopening Brooks' case.

McAllister said: "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.

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Alonzo's friend Justin was meant to drive him home, but got lost popping out for cigarettes (Credit: Netflix)
Alonzo's friend Justin was meant to drive him home, but got lost popping out for cigarettes (Credit: Netflix)

"It is past time for the truth to come out. The code of silence must be broken. Alonzo's family deserves to know the truth, and it is time for justice to be served."

FBI Agent Leena Ramana told Dateline in an interview: "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.

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

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The FBI is offering a $100,000 reward for information about Alonzo's death.

Tips can be submitted at the FBI's website.

Let's hope someone comes forward and can finally bring Alonzo's family justice.

Topics: TV News, TV Entertainment, Netflix

Ciara Sheppard
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