Suvechha Sarkar
For most people, New Year’s Eve is a time of new beginnings and celebration. Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case for Shele Danishefsky Covlin, as she was found dead in her Upper West Side apartment in New York on December 31, 2009. The 47-year-old was a hardworking woman and a loving mother. NBC’s ‘Dateline: Endgame’ explores the suspicious circumstances surrounding her untimely death and the crucial pieces of circumstantial evidence that revealed a shocking killer years later. The episode also features emotional interviews with her loved ones and the officials who made sure justice was served.
Shele Covlin’s Death Was Initially Considered to be a Tragic Accident
Sometime in 1962, Shele Danishefsky Covlin arrived as a beacon of light into the lives of Joel and Jaelene Danishefsky. Her parents had always raised her to be a person who let her Jewish faith guide her life at Lincoln Square Synagogue. She loved laughing and playing with her brother Philip Danishefsky and her sister, Eve Karstaedt. Shele was known among her loved ones for her vibrant personality and compassionate nature. After graduating from high school, she pursued higher education and earned a degree in Marketing. Following that, Joel asked his daughter to join him at Merrill Lynch, where she began working as a Private Wealth Manager. In January 2009, Shele was hired by UBS Wealth Management as their Financial Adviser.
In her personal life, Shele used to attend singles’ mixers, and during one of them in February 1998, she first met Roderick “Rod” Covlin. They quickly hit it off, although she was 11 years older than him. Six months after meeting, the couple tied the knot at a lively venue. Two years later, they welcomed their daughter, Anna, into the world. According to Eve, she faced a major heartbreak when she gave birth to her twins, but they passed away shortly after. However, their lives were again lit up with joy when their son, Myles, was born in 2006. The family began residing in an apartment on West 68th Street in New York. Sadly, Shele and Rod grew apart over time, and he began living separately in an apartment across the hall. Everything seemed to be going well until December 31, 2009.
Authorities received a 911 call from Rod, claiming that Anna found Shele unconscious in the bathtub, following which he took his wife out and gave her CPR. As officials arrived at the scene, they found her wrapped in a blanket and declared her dead. They noticed the tub was full of bloody water, and the top cabinet door was hanging off its hinge. Initially, due to her family’s wish, an autopsy wasn’t performed, and the medical examiner reportedly ruled the cause of death undetermined. However, when her family changed their mind, her remains were exhumed and sent for autopsy. The report revealed bruising on her lips, besides some scratch marks and a broken hyoid bone, consistent with strangulation. The autopsy report determined her cause of death as neck compression due to strangulation and ruled the case a homicide.
Witness Statements Helped Investigators Build a Case Against Shele’s Killer
Detectives first questioned Rod, who reportedly claimed that Anna had called him in a panic, and since he didn’t have the key, she had let him into the apartment. According to reports, he claimed that Shele fell and hit herself on the bathtub, which led to her death. However, authorities noticed that his clothes were dry, unlike his claim that he had pulled Shele, who was wet, out of the bathtub, as per reports. Records state that, upon speaking with her loved ones, officials discovered she had recently undergone a keratin hair-straightening procedure and that she knew she wasn’t supposed to bathe. Eve reportedly insisted to the detectives that her sister usually showered. Court records specify that Shele’s friends informed law enforcement that Rod had a volatile temper and they were undergoing a contentious divorce.
According to court documents, Shele’s friends and family informed officials that her relationship with Rod became strained because he wanted an open marriage. Their divorce reportedly turned bitter regarding the child support and custody. Police records suggest that the doorman at Rod’s apartment building told officials that Rod had gone out for snacks at 4:13 am on January 1. In his statements, the doorman claimed that Rod was unusually chatty with him, per reports. Additional reports indicate that Shele’s husband had called her workplace and alleged that she was unstable due to her drug abuse. According to a detective on the show, the 47-year-old’s husband was facing financial issues. Shele’s attorney contacted the authorities, reportedly revealing that she was scheduled to meet with an attorney on January 1, 2010.
Investigative reports state that Shele’s scheduled appointment was regarding her millions worth of estate and her plan to change her will, which would exclude Rod. She reportedly wanted Anna and Myles to inherit the money when they turned 18. According to court records, Rod’s former lover, Debra Oles, came forward in 2014 and disclosed that after the death of Shele, Rod was living with his parents before they evicted him, while Myles and Anna continued living with their paternal grandparents. In her statements, Debra alleged that he had plotted to murder his parents to take away his kids, as per official records. Based on the overwhelming amount of circumstantial evidence, Rod was taken into custody on November 1, 2015. He was ultimately indicted on the charge of second-degree murder of Shele.
Rod Covlin is Incarcerated at a New York Correctional Facility Today
After his indictment, Rod’s jury trial began in 2018. During the trial, the prosecution highlighted several pieces of circumstantial evidence. They claimed that the way the screws of the cabinet door came out of the wall was impossible to have been caused by someone like Shele. They further presented several witnesses, including a family nanny who testified to seeing Rod push his wife on the floor. According to court records, Debra also testified that the defendant had an explosive temper. The prosecution emphasized that Shele and Rod’s bitter divorce and custody dispute was the motive behind the murder.
On the other hand, the defense insisted that the 47-year-old slipped and suffered a fatal accident. They pointed out that the prosecution had no concrete evidence tying the defendant to Shele’s death. The defense reportedly tried to discredit Debra’s testimony through cross-examination. Moreover, they contended that the detectives at the scene hadn’t collected any DNA evidence or fingerprints from the scene after Shele’s death. On March 12, 2019, the jury found Rod guilty of second-degree murder. By the following month, he was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.
Rod later appealed his conviction, challenging the sufficiency of evidence and the admission of certain witness testimony. However, on May 24, 2022, the Appellate Court affirmed the judgment. In 2025, he filed a motion to overturn his judgment, alleging prosecutorial misconduct and constitutional violations. On January 24, 2025, his motion was reportedly denied. As of writing, Rod is serving his sentence at the Sing Sing Correctional Facility in Ossining, New York. His parole interview date is scheduled for June 2040, and his parole eligibility date is set for October 28, 2040.
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