Stay Connected . They didn't just target one race. A lot of other things lined up for Alonzo's case to go on a national level at the time, Pratt said. People tend to believe there arent places out there like this still. There are still a great many questions about Alonzo Brooks' ultimate fate, but at the moment, we have precious few answers. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Though we still don't know for sure how Brooks died, these sorts of theories would certainly point toward foul play. WebWhere is La Cygne? There were 454 households, of which 34.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.8% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.3% were non-families. 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. Curious also the last friend with him didnt participate in UM. Instead, we looked at the hard numbers from where KKK organizations have existed. But, thats not what happened. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 1,050. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. An official website of the United States government. "He is my baby and I can't protect him anymore, but I can do this," she says. To reach Linn County Park from U.S. 69, take the La Cygne Exit east 0.3 miles to Valley Road and follow the sign north 2 miles to the park entrance. Brooks' parents spoke at the Thursday press conference and said they just want answers. The FBI is investigating. In the autopsy, examiners stated that there were injuries that would not be consistent with decomposition. Where have all the candidates gone? I dont get why. Nearby zip codes include 66044, 66086, 66052, 66045, 66025. I first heard about it when Unsolved Mysteries made an inquiry of our office, and indicated they were going to do an episode about it, McAllister said. I grew up in Overland Park, but my Grandma lived in La Cygne and I visited her every Sunday growing up. Unfortunately, for one reason or another, Brooks never made it back to Gardner, and didn't call home to let his mother know what was keeping him something that was extremely unlike him. Im Mexican and his father is Black, Maria said. The number of active members of the KKK is much smaller these days. 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. And even local and long-distance phone service, cellular phone service, television, and high-speed Internet services are all available to them through the La Cygne-based Peoples Telecommunications, LLC. Meaning, the number of racist members of the community has historically been the highest, according to the math. A Warner Bros. WebThe body of Alonzo Brooks was exhumed last summer, 16 years after he was found dead. I think many people know. If Alonzo were alive today, he would have turned 40 years old on May 19. On April 5, 2021, the FBI announced that their investigation had proved that Brooks' death was a homicide. Males had a median income of $30,900 versus $19,803 for females. So I gathered up some information about it and started reading about the case.. KCUR serves the Kansas City region with breaking news and powerful storytelling. The code of silence must be broken. One of the poor victims of such a strange incident was Alonzo Brooks, who disappeared in Kansas on the night of April 3, 2004. Its been 16 years and I just want justice for me and my family to know what happened to my son and I know that someone out there knows what happened, said his mother, Maria Ramirez. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.00. At least we had found him. Update: The body of Alonzo Brooks was exhumed this morning. Brooks was living with his mom in Gardner, Kansas, in 2004, when he went with friends to a house party in La Cygne, about an hour away. According to his mother, Alonzo was considerably younger than his siblings, and as a result, she somewhat sheltered him. As the U.S. Attorney's OfficeandNBC Dateline tell us, the people involved appear optimistic, or at least extremely determined to get to the bottom of things. But shes also just glad the case is still getting attention, and that people are keeping her sons memory alive. Black Lives Matter movement is gaining, (and) people are questioning ways that we've been acting in society.. They didnt just target one race. "My God, it was awful," Brooks Sr. said. At an early date La Cygne became a manufacturing point. WebBuying land in La Cygne. There hasnt been a day that goes by that I dont work on Alonzos case or think of him, Josh said. Since Brookswas of Mexican and Black descent and the area he'ddisappeared in was predominantly white, even the FBI got involved, as they were suspecting a possible hate crime. "It is a quiet place of profound sadness to one who knows its history, but no answers are there. 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. But any piece of information is significant and could be the missing puzzle piece we need to solve this case.. According to an announcement by the U.S. Attorney's Office, on June 11, 2020 theFBI decided to put out an offer for a $100,000 reward for "information leading to arrest and conviction ofanyone responsible for the death of Alonzo Brooks." La Cygne, KS SE of La Cygne Kansas Department of Wildlife,Parks and Tourism, Don George, Fisheries Biologist 913-795-2218 www.linncountyks.com Linn County Park 913-757-6633 Lake levels vary some but normally are at conservation pool. What happened to my son? It was a commodious two-story brick building containing the graded and high schools. 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. In fact, he specifically mentions that he thinks the people in the know are keeping quiet on purpose. With the recent announcement of a $100,000 reward, FBI Agent Leena Ramana told Dateline they have been receiving several tips and are continuing to follow multiple leads in the case. What's more, even during the original investigation, there were several reports that Brooks might have been a victim of a racially motivated attack, either because he had drawn someone's ire by flirting with a girl at the party, or simply because of his race. The FBI added that his death was being investigated as a potential racially-motivated crime. With so much manpower involved, you'd think that it would have been a matter of hours or days before Brooks was discovered. 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. In July 2020, the FBI exhumed his body from his grave at a Topeka cemetery. A month later, his body was found in a nearby creek. Rodney asked Justin why he left the party without taking Alonzo with him. The median age in the city was 37 years. Seeing as the joint team of theFBI and the Kansas District of U.S. Attorney's Office now have national attention from the Netflix show to help them in their mission, there's a chance that McAllister's poetic words might ring true in the end. It is four miles (6km) west of U.S. Route 69 on K-152; La Cygne Lake is east of US-69. Unsolved Mysteries shared news of the latest development in a tweet. EVERYONE KNEW THIS MOTTO for several towns over, for years, long before this murder. 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. All the extra attention has taken a toll on Brooks family, which is still reeling from the loss. 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. 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. Were in this for the long haul and were not going to stop until we find out what happened.. 13731 KS Hwy 152, La Cygne, KS 66040 Phone: 913-757-4447 Fax: 913-757-4443 While the details of the examination are being withheld for investigative purposes, the new autopsy focuses on injuries to Brooks body that the examiner concluded are inconsistent with normal patterns of decomposition, according to the release. "At least we had found him. Verify I remember he always used to tell me that I had him too late, because I wouldnt let him go off with the older kids. His death was certainly suspicious, and someone, likely multiple people, know what happened that night. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Published It's eating at those people, whoever did it to my son and I know their life is not good.. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. I can find out what happened. FBI Special Agent in Charge Timothy Langan said he hopes the reward money will encourage more witnesses to come forward. Additionally, Slinkard stated that the FBI is doing everything that they can and that they will spare no resources in order to bring justice to those who were responsible for Brooks' death. It's got twists and turns, it's got possible race relations, it's got young drunkenness, bravado. A push to mandate members of religious clergy report child sexual abuse when its brought to their attention is facing pushback from churches throughout the United States. Pause Gallery . Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much I also really felt as though the Unsolved Mysteries episode didn't dive deep enough and it left me with even more questions than I already had. Hello from Kansas!I have been following the Alonzo Brooks death (in my opinion, murder) case for several years after stumbling upon it on a blog called Cold Case Kansas. Web(913) 757-6611 Get Directions 19476 KS-152 La Cygne, KS 66040 Is this your business? What no one has figured out is how Brooks ended up in the creek in the first place. Chasing Chains, LLC. Prior to school unification, the La Cygne High School mascot was La Cygne Indians.[11]. I can definitely see this as them protecting their own. 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. [10] The four schools located in the school district are: The Prairie View High School mascot is Prairie View Buffalos. From the beginning, there were rumors that Brooks had been the victim of foul play, the FBI said in a news release last month. "To find my boy like that. They went through the property the fateful party had been held on and moved on to search the road. We all watch the news with horror when we hear about a hate crime that happens not that far away from us. Police wouldn't have allowed a family member to go to prison for the murder of an outsider especially one of color. After the official autopsy performed in 2004 didnt determine a cause of death, Brooks case went nowhere. U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister has also noted that the crowd was quite rowdy and bigoted, seeing as there were reports of several fights and racist remarks. Swipe left for slideshow. Alonzos family deserves to know the truth, and it is time for justice to be served.. The official autopsy at the time didnt determine a cause of death and the case went cold. In the city, the population was spread out, with 26.3% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 27.7% from 25 to 44, 21.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. I know he was 23, but he was my baby, Maria said. The FBI said some evidence suggests that Brooks death could have been racially motivated. 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. Soon, multiple agencies were on the case, and ground and air searches started. She said he didnt go out much and preferred to stay home and spend time with his family. 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