The Disappearance of Jarrett Brooks: A Teenager Vanishes on the 4th of July

Sixteen-year-old Jarrett Brooks appeared to be an ordinary teenager.

He loved spending time outdoors, volunteered at the fire department, and had a close-knit group of friends.

But on July 4th, 2023, Jarrett disappeared without a trace.

Overview 

Jarett Brooks was born in 2007 to Brian and Laura Brooks.

He is the fourth of seven children making him the middle child.

Jarrett Brooks loved the rancher’s lifestyle. 

Even though he didn’t live on a ranch, he took on odd jobs at nearby properties, doing handyman and maintenance work.

Jarrett was also usually seen with his cowboy hat and boots.

He was homeschooled but still had many local friends in his town of Joseph City, Arizona.

He volunteered as an explorer at the local fire department and was friendly with everyone he encountered.

Jarrett was also known for being talkative and never shy.

Jarrett’s family life was somewhat strict, which was likely necessary given that he was one of seven children. 

There had to be rules to keep some order.

Jarrett Brooks with his mom

Disappearance 

On the night of July 3, 2023, Jarrett was grounded for taking out one of his father’s hunting vehicles.

He had been strictly forbidden from taking the vehicle out but he took it out anyway. 

Somehow, his parents found out that he had sneaked out with the car.

Not only that, but he had also damaged the vehicle in the process.

Around 10:00 p.m., his parents took his phone.

This was something they did with all their children every evening and was unrelated to him being grounded. 

The next morning, the family woke up early for a day packed with 4th of July events.

When Jarrett woke up, he asked his parents for his phone back and permission to attend the events too.

They told him no, as he was grounded.

Jarrett went back to his room while Laura went to take a shower.

When she was done, she decided to go check on Jarrett, but he wasn’t in his bedroom. 

A quick search around the house revealed no signs of Jarrett either. 

She immediately informed her husband, Brian, and he joined in the search for Jarrett.

Laura began calling some of his friends, but no one had seen or heard from Jarrett.

Soon, Brian and Laura concluded that Jarrett must have left the house and was likely on foot.

They got in separate vehicles and began driving around looking for him. 

But Jarrett was nowhere to be found.

Jarrett Brooks had disappeared.

When they got back to the house, not knowing what else to do, they contacted the local police in Joseph City, Arizona to report their son as missing.

THE SEARCH and INVESTIGATION

Immediately, the family became highly active on social media, working to spread the word about Jarrett's disappearance.

Authorities also stepped in and started their investigation.

They observed that a camera was installed in the room where Jarrett’s father stored his gun safe.

They reviewed the footage from the time when Jarrett was thought to have gone missing and found something that increased the urgency of the search.

The camera shows Jarrett entering the room and taking a gun from the safe.

This occurred shortly after his conversation with his mother that morning, during the time she was believed to be in the shower.

Now, both Jarrett and one of his father’s guns were missing. 

Unfortunately, since Jarrett didn’t have his cell phone, tracking him that way was not possible.

Authorities started interviewing neighbors to see if anyone had witnessed anything, and they uncovered one promising lead.

A neighbor said he saw Jarrett walking across his pasture.

The man explained that he and a friend were working on his property when they saw Jarrett walking by.

They said Jarrett was holding what appeared to be gun.

Jarrett had gone under a fence by the frontage road and was walking back and forth.

This prompted the man and his friend to investigate what was happening.

He returned home, got into his side-by-side vehicle, while his friend took his truck, and they drove around the roads surrounding the property.

The plan was for each of them to drive in a circle from opposite directions to meet up with the boy and find out why he was there.

When the two met up in the middle, Jarrett was nowhere to be found. 

The neighbor is completely convinced that Jarrett must have gotten a ride out of there, as there was no other place for him to go.

Authorities searched the area and they found Jarrett’s wallet, with nothing missing from inside. 

They used drones to cover as much ground as possible and specially trained search dogs.

Jarrett's parents hired private investigators to continue searching for their son.

Sadly, all leads and tips led nowhere.

Possible Theories 

Voluntary Run Away: There were reported sightings of Jarrett in Winslow, Arizona, suggesting he might have voluntarily run away.

Authorities also announced that he might have traveled to San Antonio, Austin, or Temple, Texas.

It was not disclosed why those specific areas were mentioned or whether Jarrett had any connections to those cities.

Jarrett's parents insist that he didn’t have enough time to plan running away. 

He had a conversation with his mom that morning, during which she told him he was grounded from the 4th of July festivities.

Within half an hour, Jarrett had left.

He didn’t have his cell phone, and they don’t believe he had access to one to make a call. 

There was also a stash of cash in the house that Jarrett knew about, but he didn’t take it. 

He didn’t have much money of his own.

They wondered how he would survive as a runaway without any cash on him.

Foul play By Parents: A few months after Jarrett's disappearance, law enforcement returned to the Brooks’ home and served four search warrants.

The search warrants were mostly for electronic devices and gadgets in the home. 

However, law enforcement’s presence at the Brooks’ house got the community talking and shifted a lot of attention toward the parents.

Authorities also explored any potential link to a 2004 case where Brian and Laura Brooks took plea deals for charges of public sexual indecency. 

This sparked online theories suggesting that Jarrett left to avoid sexual abuse.

The Brooks family strongly denies these allegations, pointing out that the Department of Children's Services has conducted forensic interviews with their children.

But, again, without any answers, every possibility has to be considered. 

Mysterious Ride: Many believe that Jarrett must have gotten a ride out of the area, which is why he hasn’t been found.

The neighbor who reported that Jarrett suddenly vanished while walking across his property, insists that Jarrett must have gotten a ride out of the area.

He said there was nowhere else for Jarrett to go or hide; otherwise, he and his friend would have seen him.

If he did get a ride out of the area, the easy access to Interstate 40 could have quickly taken him out of Joseph City and even out of Arizona.

Interstate 40 stretches west to California and east to South Carolina. 

It passes through major cities like Albuquerque, Oklahoma City, and Nashville.

If Jarrett successfully the area, he could be anywhere. 

But if he did get a ride, who was he with? 

Could something have happened to him during this "mysterious ride"?

Aftermath and Ongoing Investigations 

The disappearance of Jarrett Brooks remains an unsolved mystery that has captured the attention of the community in Joseph City and beyond 

Whether Jarrett left on his own, fell victim to foul play, or got caught up in unexpected events, the truth is still unknown.

As each day goes by, hope for his safe return fades, but the determination to find answers continues.

Anyone with any information on the whereabouts of Jarrett Brooks is asked to contact the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office at 928–524–4050.

You can also read about Mitchelle Parker who mysteriously disappeared after appearing on "The People's Court." 

Click here for more details.

Sources - 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/224563903860300/media

https://gephardtdaily.com/local/juab-county-sheriff-shares-missing-juvenile-notice-for-arizona-boy/