By Steve Huff
In the Lodi, California News-Sentinel on November 1, 2005, reporter Ross Farrow wrote the following:
A crowd of at least 50 parents and students gathered Monday evening to mark the fourth day since Galt High freshman Aaron Brooks was reported missing.
His family is concerned about his safety, but Galt police say Brooks' disappearance may have been voluntary.
"At this point, we can't categorize this as an abduction," said Galt police Officer Chris Sanford. "All indications at this point (are) that he is missing voluntarily."
When people are missing, that is often the fondest wish of their loved ones — the one who has vanished just wanted to get away for a while. Family and friends would rather they be impulsive, inconsiderate, selfish — anything but missing through the agency of someone else — anything but gone, forever.
Aaron Brooks, age 15, was a popular student at Galt High School in Galt, California, population 23,000. Aaron was last seen October 26, 2005 at Galt Community Park, with another male.
By November 4, Aaron Brooks was still missing, and a reward was being offered.
On November 5, 2005, the News-Sentinel published an article by journalist Andrew Adams about Aaron Brooks. Brooks was still missing, and the goal seemed to be to paint a more vivid portrait of the young man. Like many mothers might do in such a situation, Aaron's mom Mariline Brooks said she just couldn't believe he'd run away... she was growing frustrated with the police. Though Aaron had last been seen talking to another male on the 26th, there was a report of him having been sighted near the Galt Supermarket the next day. Still, it was obvious Mariline Brooks and her husband Bernie did not believe for a moment Aaron was gone of his own volition. Of the police department's seeming insistence that Aaron had run away, Mariline Brooks said to the News-Sentinel, "I don't know why they're saying that..."
The same day, Sacramento TV station KXTV channel 10 reported the following:
A body found Saturday morning in a Galt Park is believed to be that of 15-year-old Aaron Brooks, who disappeared on October 26. Police arrested a suspect in his killing late Saturday.
A group of volunteers searching for some sign of Brooks found the body at about 9:30 a.m. in a drainage canal at the southeast end of Emerald Vista Park. The park is just down the street from Brooks' home.
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