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(NewsNation) — The family of an Arizona teenager who disappeared on July 4, 2023, believes he is possibly being held against his will more than a year after he vanished.
Who was Jarrett Brooks?
Jarrett Brooks, 16, was known for his big smile and laugh, according to his father, Brian Brooks.
“[He was] the family clown,” Brian said. “He has an incredible sense of humor. He has an infectious, goofy laugh.”
Jarrett was homeschooled with his siblings but was, in many ways, still a typical teenager. He played baseball, wrestled and was always on the go.
“In the summer, he was always working on a ranch,” said mother Laura Brooks. “Swimming, going to the swimming pool, golfing, going to the creek with his friends.”
Like many teenagers, sometimes Jarrett also got in trouble. One of those times happened the night before he disappeared when he was grounded for damaging one of the family’s vehicles.
It was the fourth time the teenager had gotten in trouble for taking the vehicle off-roading, the latest time breaking something on the vehicle even after he’d been told not to go off-road again.
The next morning, the 4th of July, Jarrett was up around 6 a.m.
“It was about 6:15. I was getting ready to get in the shower,” Laura said. “He met me in the hallway, and he said, ‘So mom, am I just grounded from driving, or am I grounded from everything?’ And I said, ‘No, you’re grounded.'”
Jarrett Brooks disappears
When his mother realized Jarrett was gone an hour later, she went looking for him, thinking that he’d decided his plans were too important to miss even if he was grounded.
“[I] cruised around the parade route, cruised around the park, around the areas where I knew all the kids hung out on the fourth,” Laura said.
His parents began to worry when Jarrett’s friends hadn’t seen him.
“He’s a very social kid,” Brian said. “She had talked to everybody, and nobody had seen him. He wasn’t anywhere around, then the level changed.”
The Brooks called the sheriff, launching an all-out search around town and going through Jarrett’s electronics.
Investigators searched Jarrett’s room, looked at his phone and Xbox and tried to access his messaging on the gaming system.
Searching for Jarrett Brooks
But the most stunning piece of evidence was an image taken by a home security camera near the family’s gun safe that showed Jarrett placing a handgun into his waistband.
A nearby rancher said he had spotted someone crossing his pasture, heading west, away from town, in the opposite direction of the holiday festivities.
The description perfectly matched Jarrett and his favorite boots. The person, described as young in dark clothes carrying a handgun, had his pants shotgunned into his white top boots.
Navajo County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Brian Swanty said dogs picked up the scent, leading investigators on a trail past the rancher’s home.
“They picked up some tracks and followed these tracks for a distance away from the residence, where the tracks ultimately just stopped,” Swanty said.
Investigators searched the area for hours, looking for any signs of what happened to Jarrett.
“Where did he go? That is what is absolutely driving everybody crazy, is what happened from there,” Swanty said. “We don’t know.”
Brian Brooks said he was told his son was in a hurry as he was spotted in the pasture.
“The rancher said he was walking at a fast pace and I said, ‘Well, Jarrett’s got long legs. He walks pretty quick,'” Brian said. “He goes, ‘No, he was hoofing it.'”
Jarrett’s parents are convinced he must have made plans to meet someone and get a ride, someone he had just met, and he took the gun as a precaution.
“I think that little red warning light was going off in his head that said, this is probably okay, but just in case, I’m going to have a way to protect myself,” Brian said.
Police executed two search warrants on the Brooks’ home, looking for communication devices or any other clues to Jarrett’s whereabouts.
Rumors surrounding the Brooks family
They were also looking into any possible connection to a 2004 case in which Brian and Laura Brooks accepted plea deals on charges of public sexual indecency, fueling online theories that Jarrett left to escape sexual abuse.
The Brooks say the allegations are unequivocally false, noting that the Department of Children Services has forensically interviewed their kids.
Police say they’ve looked into every allegation.
“We have absolutely looked for a connection,” Swanty said. “There is no evidence to support that there is any sort of connection or correlation between that incident in the early 2000s and today.”
Jarrett’s parents say they’ve endured harassment on top of heartbreak thanks to the rumors when they just want to keep the focus on finding their son.
“A year’s a damn long time of not having your son and not knowing,” Brian said.
The Brooks say they absolutely believe Jarrett is still out there, alive and being held in a bad situation.
Deputies say there have been many possible sightings, including one just last month in Texas, but none have turned out to be Jarrett.
Since there have been no signs of life in more than a year, they are now approaching the case as a possible homicide investigation.
Jarrett Brooks would now be 17. He is 6 feet tall with brown eyes and blond hair. He was last seen wearing a black T-shirt with “America” across the front, blue jeans, cowboy boots and a baseball hat. Anyone with information on Jarrett Brooks should contact the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office (Arizona) at 1-928-524-4050.