Justin Bartley, 32, faces second-degree murder and child endangerment charges for allegedly beating his ex-girlfriend Roseberline Philippe, also 32, to death at the Days Inn in Elmsford, New York, on November 2, 2025, in front of their 2-year-old son. Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace announced the indictment on December 5, 2025; Bartley pleaded not guilty at his arraignment and remains held without bail at Westchester County Jail pending a March 6, 2026, hearing. Temporary orders of protection were issued for Philippe’s family.​
Prior Criminal History
Bartley was on five years’ probation at the time of the incident, stemming from a 2022 guilty plea in Rockland County to attempted second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and driving while intoxicated. The couple, who met as teens at Port Chester High School, had a history of domestic issues; Philippe, a Haitian-American office assistant at White Plains Hospital, had expressed fear of Bartley after their son’s 2023 birth.​
Incident Details
Philippe’s body was discovered in a motel bathtub around 4:30 p.m. by cleaning staff after a prolonged assault; Bartley fled with their son but was arrested that evening. The child was unharmed and placed with family; Bartley reportedly claimed during questioning that the altercation was mutual and that Philippe was alive when he left. A GoFundMe supports funeral costs and the child, describing Philippe as a devoted mother whose “light will never fade”.
