Jennifer Payne, a graduate school friend and former roommate of Brooke Hanlon, is grappling with the death of her longtime friend, who was found stabbed in her Chester, New Jersey home on June 6. Hanlon, 35, was a mother to a baby born last year.
Payne learned of Hanlon's death weeks after it occurred when a news outlet contacted her. Authorities have not yet named any suspects or persons of interest in the ongoing homicide investigation. Payne described the situation as distressing due to the limited information available, stating, "The whole complexity of it all—and not knowing—keeps you on bated breath all the time."
Payne first met Hanlon in 2013 while attending Northeastern University for graduate studies in Boston. The two became close friends and shared a living space in Boston for a few years. Payne recalled traveling to Europe with Hanlon after graduation.
During the time Payne knew them, Brooke and her husband, Conor, were dating. Payne mentioned that the group often socialized together, sometimes with Conor's family, who are from the Brighton neighborhood of Boston. Payne described Conor as having a reserved demeanor and possessing little apparent motivation during their interactions. "He just didn't really have much personality. I didn't think he was very motivated," Payne stated.
Conor Hanlon has not been charged with any crime, and Fox News Digital's attempts to reach him for comment have been unsuccessful. He has not made a public statement regarding his wife's death.