New Jersey’s medical examiner system is a national disgrace. Our investigation revealed disturbing stories of victims and their families who were wronged. This is one of them. Read the full investigation at nj.com/death (link in bio). ▫️ Ellen Andros’ husband, James, an Atlantic City police officer, said he found the 31-year-old woman slumped over the keyboard of the family computer on March 31, 2001. He called 911. ▫️ Investigators didn’t buy it. Court records show there had been marital troubles, and James had been drinking before he came home. And then there was the clincher — the medical examiner who handled her case, Elliot Gross, determined that burst blood vessels around her face were the result of strangulation. ▫️ Ellen Andros' death was a homicide, Gross determined. It wasn’t long before James Andros was arrested and charged with killing her. ▫️ But Gross missed something. High-profile pathologist Michael Baden took a second look at the case and determined nearly two years later that Ellen Andros had actually died from a rare condition called spontaneous coronary artery dissection, records show. Her heart had essentially burst as she browsed the internet, the pathologist found. ▫️ Prosecutors dropped the charges against James Andros, and he eventually returned to the police force after losing years of his life because of a medical examiner's mistake. #deathinnj
