Psychotherapist, New Mom, Stabbed to Death at Home

By Dana Whitfield. Jun 30, 2026

Investigators in New Jersey are searching for whoever fatally stabbed a 35-year-old psychotherapist and new mother inside her own home, a case that sat unidentified for more than three weeks.

Brooke Hanlon was found dead inside her home on Pottersville Road in Chester, New Jersey, after a 911 call. Dispatch audio obtained by reporters indicates the call was initially treated as a possible cardiac arrest.

A Cause of Death Concealed for Weeks

A week after her death, the Morris County Medical Examiner’s Office determined the cause was multiple sharp-force injuries and ruled the manner of death a homicide. Authorities withheld Hanlon’s identity for more than three weeks, citing the ongoing investigation, before confirming it Monday.

Still No Suspect

The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, Chester Township Police, and the county Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation unit are jointly investigating. No suspect has been named, no weapon has been disclosed, and officials say no further details will be released while the case remains active.

A Life Devoted to Helping Others

Hanlon, a licensed professional counselor, worked at LifeStance Health in nearby Bernardsville, where she specialized in trauma therapy for children, teens, and families. She and her husband had recently welcomed their first child.

A Career Cut Short

Colleagues described her as a trusted clinician who built a reputation on warmth and patience with the families she treated, a career spent helping people through their hardest moments, cut short in her own home.

References: Psychotherapist, 35, Who Recently Welcomed Her First Child Was Stabbed to Death Inside N.J. Home in Middle of Day | Morris Co. Woman Stabbed To Death In Home ID’d By Police | Authorities identify victim in Morris County homicide