Alonzo Brooks’ Mysterious Death Ruled A Homicide Due To Possible Hate Crime
The mysterious death of Alonzo Brooks caught national attention after his story was featured on Netflix's Unsolved Mysteries. His body was exhumed last year, and a new autopsy has ruled his death was a homicide. Brooks' body was found in a creek on May 1, 2004.
According to PEOPLE, the Federal Bureau of Investigations stated that his second autopsy focused on Brooks' injuries which the coroner ruled were not consistent with standard decomposition. The original autopsy could not determine his cause of death.
"This new examination by a team of the world's best forensic pathologists and experts establishes it was no accident; Alonzo Brooks was killed," declared U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard in a statement. "We are doing everything we can, and will spare no resources, to bring those responsible to justice."
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His case is currently being investigated as a possible hate crime. The 23-year-old was reported missing after attending a party at a farmhouse. Brooks' was one of three Black men at the party. His friends left without him, leaving him without a ride home.
When Brooks' family members attempted to post missing person flyers, some La Cygne residents asked them to leave, saying they were not welcome.
Yahoo! News reports Brooks' father and a family friend discovered his body on top of a pile of branches in the creek nearly a month after he was reported missing.
The youngest of five children, Brooks' is described as a mild-mannered and family man. His family and friends have long believed that he was a victim of foul play. No one was ever arrested. A $100,000 reward for information about his death is being offered.
Last year, his case was featured in Dateline's “Cold Case Spotlight.”