Port Chester Man Charged with Killing Ex-Girlfriend at Elmsford Hotel

The defendant had a prior felony conviction at the time of the offense

December 13, 2025

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. – Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace announced today that a Port Chester man has been charged with murder in connection with the killing of his ex-girlfriend, Rose Berline Philippe, at an Elmsford hotel in November.

Justin Bartley, 32, was arraigned Friday morning on an indictment charging him with Murder in the Second Degree, a class A felony, and Endangering the Welfare of a Child, a class A misdemeanor. He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Judge Maurice Dean Williams continued Bartley's remand at the Westchester County Jail pending further proceedings. Judge Williams further issued temporary orders of protection on behalf of the victim's family.

Bartley is due back in court on March 6.

DA Cacace said: “My heart aches for Ms. Philippe's family, who have lost the companionship of their beloved daughter, sister and friend. Ms. Philippe was also a new mother and had so much left of her life to share with her young son. I am committed to doing justice by Ms. Philippe and her family. My office will not spare any effort to hold the defendant fully accountable for his alleged conduct.”

On Nov. 2, 2025, at the Days Inn by Wyndham, in Elmsford, Bartley is accused of murdering Rose Berline Philippe, his 32-year-old ex-girlfriend, in the presence of their two-year-old son, as alleged in charging documents and statements made on the record in court.

In 2022, the defendant pleaded guilty to Attempted Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, a class D felony, and Driving While Intoxicated, an unclassified misdemeanor, in Rockland County Court as part of a separate case and was subsequently sentenced to five years' probation.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI's Safe Streets Task Force, the Elmsford Police Department, the Westchester County Department of Public Safety and Westchester County District Attorney's Office investigators.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Brian Bendish and Marissa Morra-Wynn.

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The charges against the defendant are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.