season one: episode 7
Last Seen: June 22, 2013
18 year old female Brookelyn Farthing was last seen on June 22 2013 in Berea, KY.
An overnight bag with plans to sleep at a friends house turned on its head …as Brooke is left stranded at a party and then at the isolated home of a male stranger.
Ominous texts and a suspicious fire have investigators almost certain the young woman was taken against her will.
For recent high school graduate Brooke Farthing life in Berea KY was good. She was described by her sister as a spunky, tell you how it is, loveable person. Who loved animals and the outdoors.
The day before her disappearance Brooke had passed her driving test and was having a great visit with her grandfather and family, with more plans for the weekend. Brooke’s grandfather who would sadly pass away after she vanished, never knowing what happened.
The evening prior to her disappearance Brooke attended a house party with her cousin and sister, with plans to crash the night with one of her girlfriends. During the course of the party, Brooke had a falling out with her girlfriend – who wanted to hang out with a guy that night instead – so the sleepover plans were nixed.
Stranded and desperate at the party house with no ride home, Brooke was seen helping an intoxicated friend when they both accepted a ride from an older male, Josh Hensley, who claimed to be friends with an ex-boyfriend of Brooke. Allegedly, the trio went to look at some horses before dropping off the friend, eventually returning to Josh’s foreclosed house in Berea.
Once at the secluded house, Brooke ignored the lack of power and water and busily worked her phone desperate to get a relative or friend to pick her up, finally an ex-bf who worked the nightshift agreed to come by around 7AM .
At 4:26 that morning, Brooke sent him a text that had an ominous request – please hurry I’m scared, – it’s possible that message was the last time anyone would hear from the real Brookelyn farthing.
At 5:30am her ex received another text from bks phone – “nevermind I’m ok I am going to a party in Rockcastle county” Although It was odd that brooke would drive 25 min at 5:30 in the morning to go to a party, her ex read the text and skipped on picking her up.
The rockcastle party text – which investigators and family believe was not from brooke – began a bizarre series of events which still remain unexplained.
Josh claims he left brooke that morning sitting on the couch smoking a cigarette as he went to check on some horses at a local farm.
When Josh returned at 7 am he claimed bk was gone – and even more sinister the couch she was sitting on – was engulfed in flames. The strong fire had burnt the couch and floor, and was identified as ‘suspicious’ by investigators.
Bk and her phone were gone – but left behind on the front porch was her purse, cowboy boots and the overnight bag. Was brooke waiting outside on the porch to leave, get picked up, or just to get away from inside the house and whoever was in there. Her family believes she wouldn’t have left without her belongings, and that she had no reason to run away
Brooke’s phone last pinged just minutes away from Josh’s foreclosed home in the blue lick rd area of Berea. During that first 24 hours brooke’s phone would receive over 1000 calls. It hasn’t been released how many – if any – Were from Josh.
Multiple extensive searches – including with divers and cadaver dogs- canvassed over 16k acres in three counties. One search included 200 volunteers and covered a 1.5 and a half mile radius from Josh’s home.
The secluded and remote area Brooke was last seen in is notoriously difficult to traverse with thickly wooded terrain, steep inclines, caves, sink holes, abandoned wells, and multiple bodies of water, all criss-crossed by interconnected country lanes.
Based on the facts of the case made public by investigators many observers believe Josh – the last known person to see Brooke – knows more about her disappearance than he claims.
Could a small town cover up be in play or does law enforcement know exactly what happened but lack the evidence to prosecute a case? Or were there other people involved – possibly living in the foreclosed home – who could have acted as an accomplice? Is it possible that when Josh went to see the horses he was actually taking Brooke somewhere, leaving the cigarette to burn down the couch?
Josh was never charged in Brookes disappearance, but in Aug. 2020 Josh Hensley was arrested by Kentucky state police with two other men from Berea for possession of child pornography. The arrest was not connected with Brooke though.
Brooke’s case is still open and active. It is considered suspicious and criminal involvement is suspected
Farthing’s nickname is Brooke. She has pierced ears and a birthmark on her left hip. She was last seen wearing a gray t-shirt with the Madison County FFA (Future Farmers of America) logo and light blue denim shorts.
This case has been the topic of small town gossip, so investigators are asking the public for facts and actionable info – not rumors.
Last Seen: Missing Persons 