Alonzo Brooks Update: Body Exhumed As FBI Reopens Cold Case After 'Unsolved Mysteries' Episode

The body of Alonzo Brooks, who was mysteriously found dead after a 2004 party in Kansas, was exhumed Tuesday morning after the FBI reopened the cold case. The move was taken after the case was featured in an episode of Netflix’s “Unsolved Mysteries.”

The 23-year-old Black man went missing 16 years ago after a party in the majority-white town of La Cygne, Kansas. His body wasn’t found until weeks later by the edge of a creek. The Brooks family said they received new tips with information since the docuseries aired.

The FBI is currently offering a $100,000 reward for information resulting in an arrest connected to the Brooks case.

According to reports, Brooks attended the 2004 party with some friends, where he was believed to be one of few black people. Witnesses described the crowd as mostly white. His body was not found until May 1, 2004. Initial medical reports listed his death as inconclusive due to the advanced decomposition of the body. Those close to Brooks believed he was murdered.

Terry Meurer, co-creator of the original “Unsolved Mysteries” and executive producer of the Netflix reboot, told TheWrap that Brooks’ case relies on new witnesses who have come forward after remaining silent for so long. Brooks’ family has speculated that his death may have been the result of a hate crime.

“In the Alonzo Brooks case, there were a lot of kids that were at the party that night,” Meurer said. “They were all 16, some of them were underage-drinking, 16, 17, 18 years old. And those kids are now in their early 30s. There’s some in that crowd who know what happened to Alonzo.”