For this episode, Carter Banks (BigBankz) explores an abandoned home in rural Long Valley, New Jersey:
Once again, we’re presented with a phony narrative. But that’s to be expected. How else do you sell walkthroughs of rotting, worthless debris left behind by deceased, elderly folks?
These explorers’ pattern shines again: An actor saw something in the house, concocted a phony narrative around the something, and dressed up a boring video with the phony narrative. In this case, the phony narrative concludes with a murder. The “something in the house” is a silly stain on an armchair.
Other parts of the phony narrative include a move to California–nope–and some super-successful equestrian career–nope. I have no idea where the California move came from, but pictures and other materials suggest the residents liked horses.
First, this property is not abandoned. The electricity is on! Aren’s rule of abandoned property: It’s not abandoned as long as someone is paying for electricity!
How I found the house:
One clue told me it’s in New Jersey. At 6:44, you see this photo:
That’s a First Hope Bank advertisement at an equestrian facility, so an equestrian facility near this bank is in play. That bank has three branches: Hope, NJ and two nearby cities.
While it helps us determine New Jersey, it is a red herring. At 15:20 is a better clue:
The top of that is hard to make out, but it is for a local yellow-pages publication covering Chester, NJ and I think Mendham, NJ.
Other hints include that the road is unstriped, which knocks out a ton of roads. Also, it’s in a somewhat forested area, so that provides an important clue.
Fortunately, Steve Ronin gave the crucial clue in his explore of the same place:
At 0:54 is a drone shot depicting a pastoral valley that may be nestled between two ridges:
Aha, a long valley!
Going back to Google Maps, the first place I see this is a bit west of Chester:
After a brief search, I saw the aerial fingerprint, in–you guessed it–Long Valley, NJ!
The property’s back story is plain. John Brahney and his wife, Dorothy, died in 2011. And that makes sense: the furnishings, knick-knacks, and leftovers are those you might expect of an elderly couple.
Their ashes are at Arlington Cemetery in Virgina:
These explorers shamelessly used the leftover debris of a veteran and his wife to concoct a phony narrative, that is salacious and violent, just to get views. But it’s what they do, and it’s their pattern.
You can find more info on the properties (both sides of the street) by going to https://mcweb1.co.morris.nj.us/MCTaxBoard/SearchTaxRecords.aspx and searching for these, using the Search by Block and Lot feature:
- The property across the street, where the explorers’ car was parked: Block 51, lot 11
- The proper that includes the explored house: Block 54, lot 50
Thank You for investigating this. I know some things about firearms and I got suspicious when I saw the firearms obviously planted there for the show then I did some google searches and came across Your blog. Thanks for exposing these liars and actors!
So this place was originally found about 2 years ago by a friend of mine and I and I trusted to share it with one female who explores as well and here we have it, completely ruined the magic of this place. I personally new Dorothy, she was my neighbor in Chatham as that’s where she lived previously. Makes me fucking sick. The address being held on this site will fucking piss this family off so much. They STILL OWN THE PROPERTY AND CHECK ON IT. Currently have security cameras and no trespassing signs on it.
You are an absolute breath of fresh air, it is in-fact as you say, disgusting they would use a veteran for such a bS story, it is disrespectful as all hell. Thank u for what u do.
Thank you will never trust them again! Sat hours looking this up ! Sad thing only one death of a teen girl in horse accident! The same year they said . (Not related to story )
Found a few of his properties one in New York he calls a cultists facility is actually a family estate in up state new york. Carter banks was just charged with breaking and entering Google it Big Banks aka ( Carter Banks) he broke into an abandoned shopping mall by ripping down plywood to enter building. These urban explorers as they call themselves are really just criminals who get paid to break the law . Thanks youtube for supporting criminal activity…
So sad that someone would taint the memory of this couple! Married many years and passed 3 weeks apart. I’m sure it was hard for their family to go in to pack.
Nice sleuthing. Too bad these guys create this false narrative to promote their YouTube (YT) channels. Made it easy to unsubscribe from his YT channel. I like the urban explorer genre of video, but dislike anything that is “staged” – and this video’s whole basis was fake. Very disappointed in BigBankz and super-impressed with your ability to geo-locate the property based on those few clues. Thanks for the write-up!
Your story may be true, but I’ve seen plenty of videos of abandoned places where clearly nobody has lived in a long time and the electricity still on. Just because the lights still work doesn’t have to mean the place is not abandoned or someone is still paying the bill.
All rules have exceptions. I would be shocked if power companies routinely declined to disconnect utilities at abandoned properties where nobody is paying the bill.