CHESTER, N.J. – A neighbor said investigators removed items that appeared to include a headboard, hamper and possible comforter or quilt from the Chester property where Brooke Hanlon, 35, was found fatally stabbed earlier this year.
News Outlet was outside the Pottersville Road home last week and saw investigators carry numerous items from the Hanlon residence. The objects were wrapped in brown paper and secured with evidence tape.
Hanlon, a psychotherapist and mother, was found dead inside the home on June 6. Her husband, James “Conor” Hanlon, called 911 after discovering his wife had been stabbed. No arrests have been announced.
Neighbors said he was seen speaking with police Wednesday afternoon.
Law enforcement personnel remove evidence from the home of Conor Hanlon in Chester, N.J., Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026. Hanlon’s wife, Brooke Hanlon, was found dead in their home in June. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for News Outlet)
On Thursday, News Outlet watched officers remove what appeared to be a large comforter through a second-story window of the house.
Brooke Hanlon was found stabbed to death inside her Morris County, New Jersey home. Police have yet to name a possible suspect. (LinkedIn, Facebook/Meta)
The two-bedroom, two-bathroom house has only a few windows on its second floor.
Law enforcement officers seize evidence from the home of Conor Hanlon in Chester, N.J., on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for News Outlet)
Several neighbors told News Outlet they were troubled by the lack of new information in the investigation.
Law enforcement officers remove evidence from the home of Conor Hanlon in Chester, N.J., Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for News Outlet)
The return of investigators to the property left some residents hopeful that an arrest could be coming, neighbors said.
Investigators remove evidence from Conor Hanlon’s home in Chester, N.J., on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for News Outlet)
“I just want them to resolve this as soon as possible,” one neighbor said. She said seeing law enforcement return to the street Wednesday, Nov. 4, brought tears to her eyes.
Police remove evidence from the home of Conor Hanlon in Chester, N.J., Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026. Hanlon’s wife, Brooke Hanlon, was found dead in their home in June. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for News Outlet)
Robert Strang, a former FBI agent and private investigator, said the decision to return to the home months after the homicide may indicate that investigators have developed new leads and are seeking specific evidence, potentially including DNA.
Investigators take evidence from Conor Hanlon’s house in Chester, N.J., Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for News Outlet)
Strang, who is not involved in the case, said, “The more people they talk to, the more information they get, the more reason they have to go back to try to identify DNA.”
Law enforcement personnel remove evidence from the home of Conor Hanlon in Chester, N.J., on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for News Outlet)
Several neighbors previously told News Outlet that Conor Hanlon has continued spending nights at the residence.
“How do you sleep in that house?” one neighbor asked.
Investigators’ vehicles sit along Pottersville Road in Chester, New Jersey, near the home where Brooke Hanlon was found stabbed to death. Her husband, Conor Hanlon, was seen speaking with officers Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026, and has denied any involvement in her death. (News Outlet)
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Hanlon has not been accused of a crime or wrongdoing and has publicly denied involvement in his wife’s death. The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office previously confirmed to News Outlet that he has hired a private attorney.
A neighbor said she has seen Hanlon doing yardwork, including cutting the grass and using a weed trimmer.
“Recently he’s been sitting outside quite a bit on that front porch,” she said.
James “Conor” Hanlon’s home, where his wife was murdered. A police cruiser parked in the driveway. New Jersey, Nov 5, 2026. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for News Outlet)
“You would think, knowing that everybody drives by gawking at your house, that you’d sit in the back where people aren’t looking at you,” the neighbor said.
Law enforcement personnel from multiple agencies arrive outside the home of Conor Hanlon in Chester, N.J., on Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for News Outlet)
Neighbors said people frequently drive past the residence, taking photos and recording video now that it has become the focus of a nationally covered murder investigation.
A police cruiser parked in the driveway of the Hanlons’ home in New Jersey, Nov 5, 2026. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for News Outlet)
One resident who passes the Pottersville Road home during her commute said she has occasionally seen Conor Hanlon driving by in a white SUV.
A police cruiser parked in the driveway of Conor Hanlon’s home in New Jersey, Nov 5, 2026. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for News Outlet)
DNA may not be the only evidence investigators are seeking at the property. Strang said cellphone data can also help establish a person’s location, explaining, “We have towers throughout New Jersey that can tell you what vicinity you were in at what time.”
James “Conor” Hanlon’s home, where his wife was murdered, is searched by police in New Jersey, Nov. 4, 2026. (Rashid Umar Abbasi for News Outlet)
Investigators may also be examining the Hanlons’ relationship and their digital activity, he said.
“They are going to look at what the relationship was like. They are going to have their cellphones. They will have all their social media. They’ll look very deeply into their lifestyle. They talk to friends,” Strang said.
Investigators have numerous tools available to help determine what may have motivated an alleged crime.
No arrests have been made in the killing of Brooke Hanlon at her Chester, New Jersey, home. (News Outlet)
Strang said it is not unusual for a prosecutor’s office to limit public statements and exclude the media while investigators gather that information.
The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office has been investigating the Brooke Hanlon homicide case. (Google Maps)
Strang said the secrecy could indicate that the unsolved homicide may “involve a grand jury.” He added, “This is a case where they don’t want to make a mistake.”
A spokesperson for New Jersey Courts confirmed to News Outlet that “matters of a grand jury are kept secret unless and until there is a return of an indictment.”
Law enforcement officials have previously said there is no threat to the public. A $1,000 reward remains available for information that leads to an arrest.
News Outlet has contacted Hanlon repeatedly, but he has not returned calls.
