New Jersey psychotherapist mom killed inside home as cops launch manhunt to identify suspect
CHESTER, N.J. — A quiet, upscale New Jersey community remains on edge weeks after a beloved psychotherapist and new mother was found brutally killed inside her home, leaving investigators searching for answers and neighbors wondering who is responsible.
On the afternoon of June 6, emergency responders were dispatched to a residence in Chester Township after receiving a report of a 35-year-old woman suffering from cardiac arrest. As first responders were en route, dispatchers received alarming new information that the victim had sustained a significant wound to her chest.
Despite lifesaving efforts, Brooke Haggerty Hanlon was pronounced dead inside the home she shared with her husband, Conor Hanlon, and their young daughter, Avery.
An autopsy later determined that Hanlon died from multiple sharp-force injuries, and the Morris County Medical Examiner officially ruled her death a homicide.
For nearly three weeks, investigators withheld her identity while they worked to preserve the integrity of the investigation. On June 29, authorities publicly identified the victim as Brooke Haggerty Hanlon, a licensed professional counselor and psychotherapist who dedicated her career to helping children, adolescents, and families.
Authorities have released very little information about what occurred inside the home.
While they have confirmed Brooke died from multiple sharp-force injuries, they have not disclosed what weapon was used, whether they believe the attack was targeted, whether the victim knew her killer, or what may have motivated the homicide.
Investigators have also not announced any arrests or identified any suspects.
The lack of information has fueled anxiety throughout the normally peaceful Chester Township community.
Neighbors told reporters they immediately texted Conor Hanlon after seeing numerous police vehicles outside the home on June 6 but said they never received a response. Several neighbors also told the local news outlets they have not seen him at the residence since Brooke’s death. Authorities have not commented publicly regarding his whereabouts, and there is no indication that he has been accused of any crime.
Residents said law enforcement maintained a constant presence outside the home for approximately two weeks following the homicide. Even weeks later, detectives were reportedly continuing to canvass the neighborhood, knocking on doors and asking residents additional questions.
“At first they told us there was no danger to the public, but detectives are still coming around asking questions two weeks later,” one neighbor told the Daily Mail.
Another resident summed up the uncertainty many in the community continue to feel.
“Nothing makes any sense. Why aren’t they telling us anything?”
According to neighbors, both Brooke’s and Conor’s vehicles remained parked in the driveway weeks after the killing, and the home’s exterior lights remained illuminated despite no visible activity inside.
Brooke and Conor Hanlon were married in June 2021 and purchased their Chester Township home approximately two years before the tragedy.
Today, what should have been a home filled with the joy of raising a young family instead sits at the center of an active homicide investigation.
The investigation remains ongoing and is being led by the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, with assistance from the Chester Township Police Department and the Morris County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit.
Officials have repeatedly declined to release additional information, saying only that they are protecting the integrity of the investigation.
Hanlon was a Chester native who earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Wake Forest University before receiving a master’s degree in counseling psychology from Northeastern University in Boston. After working in counseling positions in the Boston area, she returned to her hometown around 2024 and joined LifeStance Health, where she was described as a compassionate and highly respected therapist.
Following her death, LifeStance released a statement saying the company was “deeply saddened” by the loss.
“Brooke was a beloved member of our Bernardsville team and an exceptional therapist who was highly dedicated to her clients.”
Friends and family have remembered Hanlon as a remarkable woman whose passion for helping others extended beyond her profession.
“It’s hard to put into words what a wonderful woman and mother she was,” her father, Joseph Haggerty, told the Daily Mail.
“She was remarkable in every way. She was also very, very good at her job. She was a child therapist and really helped people.”
Joseph Haggerty, a longtime attorney who previously served as general counsel for several pharmaceutical companies, said the family has been devastated by Brooke’s death but declined to discuss details of the investigation. He confirmed that Brooke and Conor’s young daughter is safe but did not say who is caring for her.
For Brooke Hanlon’s loved ones—and for an entire community still searching for answers—the questions remain painfully unanswered.
