Grave exhumation sparks hope for justice in Alonzo Brooks cold case

TOPEKA, Kan. (KSNT) – A local family may be one step closer to getting justice in a cold case that happened more than a decade ago.

Investigators are now taking another look at the body of Alonzo Brooks, who was found dead in 2004.

On Tuesday crews dug up his grave at Mount Calvary Cemetery in Topeka to look for clues. While they haven’t given any information about the tips that may have led them there, their actions are giving new hope to the case.

Terry Dunn Meurer is the creator and executive producer of ‘Unsolved Mysteries,’ a crime show with a specific purpose in mind.

“The goal of the show is to always solve a mystery and we have a lot of people out there that are really trying to do that,” Meurer said.

The show just put out six new episodes on Netflix. One of the stories featured is the death of Alonzo Brooks.

It recounts how in 2004, Brooks, 23, went to a party and never came home. Then, weeks later, his body was found in a creek in La Cygne. To this day, no arrests have been made.

“It’s a case that caught our attention because it was so mysterious in how Alonzo disappeared and the fact that his body was found a month later,” Meurer said.

When she heard FBI investigators reopened the case last year, then just last month announced a $100,000 reward, she was thrilled.

She was equally excited to find out that investigators exhumed his body.

“We’re hopeful that that means there’s something that the investigation hopes to find through doing that,” Meurer said. “Exhuming a body is not something you just do casually.”

Local forensic pathologist John Ralston agrees, saying investigators would need to have credible reasons to get permission to dig up the grave.

“Some sort of tangible proof. Some sort of reasonable suspicions to say we really need to really look into this case again,” Ralston said.

Ultimately this move has everyone hopeful there will be justice for Alonzo.

“Alonzo’s case is very near and dear to our hearts and his family deserves justice,” Meurer said. “It’s time to solve this case. That’s the way we felt so we’re hoping we can be part of that.”

If you know anything about this case you can send in tips to the FBI here or tips to ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ here.