Emily Gladstein’s death in 2022 reignited stories about her miserable upbringing in what people describe as a modern house of horrors. A GoFundMe account created to honor her memory described her as ‘a bright young woman who made a lasting impact on countless people through the years’.

Emily and her siblings were taken into care after her parents were arrested for animal cruelty

Emily Gladstein was born to Marilyn and Michael Gladstein on September 30, 1993. She grew up in Huntingdon, New York, alongside her siblings.

The Gladstein family hit the news after Marilyn and Michael were arrested for animal cruelty. Authorities raided the home after a pungent ammonia scent from the residence triggered an alarm. They discovered that more than 100 dogs and puppies were starved and left for dead. The authorities, forced to wear hazmat suits and respirators before entering the house, also discovered a pony with overgrown hooves. 

Michael Gladstein, a dermatologist, told ABC 7, “I’m not allowed to tell you anything… Because my attorney told me not to tell you anything.” He and Marylin were charged with animal cruelty and had their children taken away, Emily included. 

Ben James, a British urban explorer, visited the residence in 2022. The abandoned house still has the many toys that the kids left behind. He said, per The Mirror:

“The house has sat abandoned and it is in the middle of nowhere so it is very creepy, it’s literally like a horror film. The weirdest thing was the kid’s bedrooms, the fact that they were still fully set up with hundreds of toys. It would have been a beautiful house at one point probably worth millions of dollars. It’s just crazy how such a well respected person in that profession, their life just went bad.”

“Having a house that was once a family home just completely frozen in time and thinking of the absolute horrors of all the animals that died there, you do wonder how did that happen?” James continued.

Emily Gladstein’s cause of death is a mystery

The cause of Emily’s death hasn’t been released to the public. Her life after her parents’ arrest is also a mystery. However, her GoFundMe profile describes her as a kind and loving person. “She deserves a beautiful ceremony where friends can express what a brilliant person she was, and how deeply she will be missed. She was always helping others, and we want to shine light on how loved she was back,” it reads.