A once-promising young doctor has ruined her career and landed in jail after launching a relentless campaign of harassment against her ex-boyfriend's new partner. Amy Cohen, 36, was sentenced to 11 to 23 months in prison after trying to set fire to the home of her Romantic rival's 99-year-old grandmother.
Cohen, of Philadelphia, suffered a mental breakdown when her former partner moved on, leading her to stalk his new girlfriend's family and distribute creepy flyers featuring images of the woman with crosses over her eyes. The disturbing flyers warned that the family would be "ruined" if they didn't leave the state and accused her ex-boyfriend's new partner of "promoting Islamophobia."
Murder Instincts Lands Her in Jail
Cohen's campaign of terror escalated on November 30, 2023, when she tried to set fire to her rival's elderly grandmother's home. Fortunately, the homeowner managed to escape unharmed after the fire was detected before it could consume the entire house.
Cohen was later arrested after her ex identified her in surveillance footage of the arson, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Her ex told police that she had struggled to cope with their breakup and had been stalking him and his new partner on social media as well as researching where his new girlfriend lived and worked.
During their investigation, police found lighter fluid and copies of the threatening letters in the trunk of Cohen's car. Cohen had been employed as an infectious-disease physician at Medical Specialist Association, but her medical license was suspended following her arrest.
Last year, she pleaded guilty to charges including arson, reckless endangerment, terroristic threats, and related offenses.
Charges of attempted murder and assault were dropped after she completed six months of inpatient treatment at a mental health facility in Mississippi.
Accepting Her Fate
A psychologist who treated Cohen revealed that she had struggled with ADHD, borderline personality disorder, and anxiety since childhood and had been misusing Adderall. He further said that by 2023, she was in a downward spiral from the pressures of working during the Covid-19 pandemic and was in an "amphetamine-induced psychosis."
Cohen was sentenced on Wednesday. While her defense team argued for rehabilitation instead of prison, the judge maintained that she must face the consequences of her actions.
"The next step in your rehabilitation process is understanding there are consequences for your actions and accepting them," said Montgomery County Court Judge Wendy Rothstein.
During the sentencing hearing, Cohen's victim addressed the court, revealing that her now 101-year-old grandmother still asks about "the girl who tried to burn [her] house down."
"Amy demonstrated a total disregard for human life, which is disgusting, knowing that she is a doctor," the victim said.
Cohen, for her part, expressed remorse and offered an apology to the victim and her family. "I know me saying I'm deeply sorry doesn't compensate for my actions, but I hope you are able to begin to heal," Cohen conceded.
