Dispatch audio from the Morris County Sheriff's Office shows officers labeled Brooke Hanlon's June 6 death as "suspicious" minutes after a 911 call placed by her husband, James "Conor" Hanlon. Responders found Brooke with multiple stab wounds in the master bedroom; Conor performed CPR for nearly five minutes while awaiting help. Downed trees from a storm delayed some emergency units, and an autopsy ruled the cause of death "multiple sharp force injuries" and the manner a homicide. Forty-six days later, no arrests or suspects have been publicly named.
Dispatch Audio Shows Brooke Hanlon’s Death Deemed ‘Suspicious’ Minutes After 911 Call; Major Crimes Team Assigned
Brooke HanlonCredit: Brooke Hanlon/LinkedIn
Dispatch audio released by the Morris County Sheriff's Office (MCSO) and obtained by PEOPLE shows officers quickly labeled the June 6 death of Brooke Hanlon as "suspicious" shortly after responding to her Chester, New Jersey, home.
What the Audio Reveals
Less than two minutes into the county's released dispatch recording — and roughly 13 minutes after the original 911 call — a responding officer can be heard saying, "Suspicious death right now." Seconds later, the major crimes team was assigned to the investigation.
911 Call and On-Scene Details
Officials say Brooke was found in the master bedroom suite on the second floor, covered in blood and suffering from multiple stab wounds. Her husband, identified by authorities as James "Conor" Hanlon, placed the 911 call after discovering her unresponsive. In the recording obtained by PEOPLE, Conor tells dispatchers he found his wife unable to breathe and later performs CPR at the dispatcher’s instruction for nearly five minutes while waiting for first responders.
About 10 seconds appear to be missing from the released 911 audio, leaving unclear whether Conor explained his whereabouts before finding Brooke. When the recording resumes, Conor begins a sentence — "I was gone..." — but does not finish it, instead urgently reporting that she was not breathing.
Response Challenges
Responding units were hampered by storm damage that afternoon. The dispatch recording contains multiple references to downed trees and obstructed roads, which delayed some emergency crews arriving at the scene.
Investigation Status and Autopsy
Forty-six days after Brooke's death, no arrests have been announced and authorities have not publicly identified suspects or persons of interest. Police and prosecutors have declined to provide new details, and the agencies initially withheld confirmation of the victim's name for three weeks after the killing.
The Morris County Medical Examiner's Office released a statement saying the autopsy determined the cause of death to be "multiple sharp force injuries" and classified the manner of death as homicide.
About Brooke Hanlon
Brooke was a licensed psychotherapist and a new mother. She and Conor welcomed their first child, Avery, in July 2025; the child recently celebrated a first birthday. The couple met while Brooke was a student at Northeastern University in Boston, where she earned a master’s degree in clinical psychology. They married in 2021, lived in Boston for a time, and purchased their Chester home in 2024 — a short distance from Brooke’s childhood home where her parents still live.
Note: The MCSO dispatch audio and the 911 recording reviewed by PEOPLE provide limited detail; investigators have not released a timeline of the hours before Brooke’s death.
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