For all the interviewing of the kids, it may be that you had an actual killer at the end of the night, with not many people around, he said, and so we've got a code of silence among a very small group, that has not been broken all these years.". All those White friends didnt know about the racist town an hour away, or any of their parents or friends didnt warn them. EVERYONE KNEW THIS MOTTO for several towns over, for years, long before this murder. Were in this for the long haul and were not going to stop until we find out what happened.. While there are surveys and public polls on what places might be the most racist, we didnt want to rely on speculation and opinion. "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. It was a commodious two-story brick building containing the graded and high schools. 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. Even without that, McAllister said Brooks death was a complicated investigation for any agency to handle. What happened to my son? "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. KwiKom offers service in-town and the surrounding rural areas, with the fastest available Fixed Wireless Internet. 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. Image 4. Or kill one race. Even more strangely, the document indicates that some anonymous whispers on the internet have alleged that the body was frozen for a while before it was moved, which would have destroyed some of the potential evidence on it. The body of Alonzo Brooks was exhumed last summer, 16 years after he was found dead. Prior to school unification, the La Cygne High School mascot was La Cygne Indians.[11]. But for years, the case went cold. I was surprised how the documentary never mentioned the old La Cygne motto : If your black dont let the sun hit your back. To find my boy like that. 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[12] On November 16, 2020, Unsolved Mysteries stated the FBI had learned of a second party in La Cygne the night Alonzo Brooks disappeared. Its been 16 years, but we hope that with this passage of time, someone who has information will come forward, Ramana said. For every 100 females, there were 89.0 males. I totally got those vibes from the episode no namers were mentioned. He did not believe that there was any animosity going on. People tend to believe there arent places out there like this still. The first school was taught in 1869 in Cady's hall. The Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programsreported in 2019 thataccording to the FBI's numbers, only 62 percent of murders were solved in 2017, and that number is likely to get more concerning by the year. Brooks was 23 years old at the time of his death. Search . Wind farms are transforming the Kansas landscape. More than ever, education lies at the intersection of equity, housing, funding, and other diverse issues facing Kansas Citys students, families and teachers. Did you know Logan Smith? As the party continued, Brooks's friends left the party at La Cygne at different times, accidentally leaving Brooks behind due to a perceived misunderstanding on how he would be getting a ride home to Gardner. Pat Boone / Jerry Boone - these brothers' names pop up the most in the comments of the blog. Soon, multiple agencies were on the case, and ground and air searches started. Males had a median income of $30,900 versus $19,803 for females. Strangely enough, Netflix's Unsolved Mysteries (via the Cinemaholic) tells us that the way the body was discovered just might add a whole new layer to the mystery. It is investigating the death as a potentially racially motivated crime. The grave was Unable to return to the party, he phoned a different friend to let him know the situation, and to make sure Brooks had another ride back home. Instead, we looked at the hard numbers from where KKK organizations have existed. I got a feeling it's going to come out soon, and I'm not giving up hope about that, Ramirez said. He never made it home. Published In June 2020, the FBI and the U.S. Attorney announced a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest, prosecution and conviction of the person or persons responsible for Alonzos death. That said, I am positive I'm forgetting to include something here. The Linn County Journal is an online news service covering Linn County, Kansas "Morans Old Problem", The Iola Register, 31 January 1959, p.4. The FBI added that his death was being investigated as a potential racially-motivated 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. "So he's mixed. Image 5. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Its not just the authorities who are taking a methodical approach. 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. Why does no one seem to know what happened between the party and the tragic discoveries that followed, despite the fact that there were up to a hundred potential witnesses? 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. It's eating at those people, whoever did it to my son and I know their life is not good.. A lot of other things lined up for Alonzo's case to go on a national level at the time, Pratt said. Calvary Cemetery, and performed a second autopsy. Can this mystery ever be solved? Zip code 66040 is located mostly in Linn County, KS. According to Netflix'sUnsolvedMysteriesepisode devoted to Alonzo Brooks' disappearance, "No Ride Home" (via the Cinemaholic), the young man carpooled with his friends to go to the party, which was in La Cygne, Kansas roughlyan hour's drive from Brooks' home. Black Lives Matter movement is gaining, (and) people are questioning ways that we've been acting in society.. 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. 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. He went missing for nearly a month despite search efforts by the sheriffs office and other law enforcement. Chasing Chains, LLC. Email me at luke@kcur.org. I had to protect him. It wasnt how we wanted to find him, but at least we did.. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. Alonzos mother told Dateline she believes her son was targeted for his race. PublishedOctober 13, 2021 at 3:03 AM CDT. So I gathered up some information about it and started reading about the case.. 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. WebLa Cygne (pronounced / l e s i n / lay SEEN) is a city in Linn County, Kansas, United States, and situated along the Marais des Cygnes River. Still, according to his friends, the usually reserved Brooks was having a time of his life, playing games and happily talking with people. They went through the property the fateful party had been held on and moved on to search the road. As of the census[9] of 2010, there were 1,149 people, 454 households, and 303 families residing in the city. WebThe case Brooks was 23 years old at the time of his death. Josh Pratt is a documentary editor from Paola, Kansas, who has investigated Brooks death for years. 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. "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. 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 As NBC Dateline and Netflix'sUnsolved Mysteries(via the Cinemaholic) tell us, Brooks' friends and family were quick to contact the authorities, but since they couldn't do anything until 48 hours had passed, little could be done. I think the fact we were producing this episode shined a light on the case and helped them want to take a look at this case again, the shows co-creator Terry Dunn Meurer told Entertainment Weekly. WebView 23 photos of this 4 bed, 2 bath, 1759 sqft. However, Brooks' friends managed to discover the disappeared man's boots and hat, strewn on the side of a road near the party house. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The cities below are the places where there were Klans back in the day, and where the number of Klans per the current population is high. "I can find out what happened. I've been reading the comments on this blog for years, and there are tons and tons of accusations, including accusations of police misconduct and community cover up, and of course about the town's reputation for racism. Brooks' mother, Maria Ramirez, certainly believes that her son was a victim of a hate crime. Stay Connected . His death was certainly suspicious, and someone, likely multiple people, know what happened that night. His body was transported to Dover Air Force Base for examination by the Armed Forces Medical Examiner after it was exhumed, according to the news release from the Federal Bureau of Investigations Kansas City Division. It is four miles (6km) west of U.S. Route 69 on K-152; La Cygne Lake is east of US-69. Its time to find out what happened to my baby. As of the 2020 census, the At an early date La Cygne became a manufacturing point. 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. The death of Alonzo Brooks, whose body was exhumed in 2020 after Netflixs Unsolved Mysteries series brought his case to the forefront, has been ruled a homicide, federal authorities announced Monday. U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said he and the FBI reopened the investigation of Alonzo Brooks last year after finding new leads. Below is a chart which lists all cities in Kansas with KKK organizations from 1915-1940.For more Kansas reading , check out: We aim to deliver infotainment about where you live that your real estate agent won't tell you. A Facebook page Justice for Alonzo Brooks was created to discuss the case and help spread awareness. He was one of only three Black men at a party in La Cygne, Kansas, that had about 100 guests, according to the FBI. 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. Investigators have said that Brooks body got tangled among the branches, and was submerged because of heavy rain that flooded the creek. 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. What's more, absolutely no one was talking. They killed two. See all photos. The 1865-1870s movement sought to overthrow Republican state governments. U.S. Attorney McAllister said there were numerous reports of multiple fights breaking out and reports of racist comments being made. He rode to the party with friends, but they left before him, leaving Brooks without a ride. 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., By SAM METZ [7], The climate in this area is characterized by hot, humid summers and generally mild to cool winters. I think they know that they're being denied justice. WebThe town of La Cygne knows WHO killed Alonzo. But I couldnt protect him from what happened to him.. I got this feeling that it's going to come out. WebThe FBI said some evidence suggests that Brooks death could have been racially motivated. Im from Paola but stayed in La Cygne every summer. 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. It took a month for his body to be found, but even then his perpetrators couldnt be caught. Even further, apparently members of the Boone family seem to have served on the city counsel or commission or something, and are still to this day prominent members of the community. [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. It is past time for the truth to come out, said McAllister. "This new examination by a team of the world's best forensic pathologists and experts establishes [Brooks' death] was no accident,"Acting U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard commented on the discovery. Nearby zip codes include 66044, 66086, 66052, 66045, 66025. Josh and his team have been working on a documentary and accompanying podcast based on Alonzos case. I think many people know. Fortunately, there's a decent chance that we might eventually find out who killed Brooks. The case is full of unanswered questions and conundrums of the sort that can leave a grizzled old movie detective desperately staring at the complicated evidence wall he's compiled in his house after he retired. Honestly, it seems like the family knows. It took them less than an hour to find Brooks' body. It sure seemed that the investigation of the death of Alonzo Brooks was facing a brick wall. The authorities have interviewed old and new witnesses, and collected every available scrap of evidence. Press J to jump to the feed. 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. 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). On the first day of the search effort, Brooks' body was found on the banks of Middle Creek adjacent to the house where he was last seen a month earlier. "I have stood under the trees on the bank of Middle Creek where Alonzo's body was found," the U.S. Attorney said. 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? As theU.S.Attorney's Officenotes, the authorities had no cause of death to go by. I was always trying to protect him.. Alonzos family deserves to know the truth, and it is time for justice to be served.. A flour mill was built in 1870; a bank was started in 1871; the La Cygne organ factory was another early commercial enterprise, but it did not flourish. As NBC Dateline tells us, the party was quite a large one. It wasnt long before McAllister, who now teaches law at the University of Kansas, requested that the FBI reopen the case. But in 2019, the Department of Justice and FBI reopened the investigation into his death. They've set up a "Justice for Alonzo Brooks"Facebook pageto chronicle the developments on the case, and still hold out hope that their beloved family member's mysterious death will one day be solved. 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. 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