In the summer of 2013, 18-year-old Brookelyn 'Brooke' Farthing was celebrating her recent high school graduation and had just passed her driver's license exam. On the evening of Friday, June 21, she attended a party with her sister and cousin in Berea, Kentucky. Later in the evening, her sister and cousin departed, but Brookelyn, having made plans to stay with a friend, remained at the party. However, an argument with her friend left Brookelyn without a ride home.
She was later seen leaving the party with two young men. They reportedly drove to look at some horses before one of the men was dropped off at his home. Brookelyn was then taken to the home of the other man, an acquaintance named Joshua Henley.
Early in the morning of June 22, a series of increasingly distressed text messages were sent from Brookelyn's phone. At 4:00 a.m., she contacted her sister, asking for a ride, but her sister was unable to pick her up. She then began texting her ex-boyfriend, with messages at 4:26 a.m. reading 'I'm scared' and 'Please hurry'. Her ex-boyfriend, who was at work, arranged to pick her up around 7 a.m. However, a final text from her phone at 5:30 a.m. stated, 'Never mind, I'm okay. I'm going to a party in Rockcastle County'. This was the last communication received from her. Later that morning, at approximately 7:00 a.m., the homeowner, Joshua, called 911 to report a fire at his residence. When authorities arrived, they found a suspicious fire confined to the living room couch, which had burned a hole through the floor. Brookelyn was gone, but her purse, overnight bag, and cowboy boots were left behind at the house. Only her cell phone was missing.
The investigation into Brookelyn's disappearance was immediately launched, with authorities and her family believing she was taken against her will. The final text message from her phone is widely believed to have been sent by someone else. The fire at the home, which had no electricity at the time, was deemed suspicious by investigators. Extensive searches of the surrounding 16,000 acres, including remote areas, were conducted by law enforcement and volunteers, but yielded no signs of the missing teen. The homeowner, Joshua Henley, was questioned by police, but no arrests have been made in connection with Brookelyn's disappearance. Over the years, her family has continued to seek answers, holding benefits to raise money for a reward fund, which currently stands at $14,000 for information leading to her whereabouts or the conviction of those responsible for her disappearance. The case remains an active and open investigation, with the belief that someone in the community holds the key to what happened to Brookelyn Farthing.Last Seen: Jun 22, 2013
