The Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office has reaffirmed its conclusion that Ellen Greenberg, a 27-year-old teacher found dead in her apartment in 2011, died by suicide—a decision that ends a years-long review and once again leaves her parents without the closure they’ve sought for nearly a decade and a half. The long-awaited determination, detailed in a 32-page report obtained by People, was released just days before a scheduled hearing in front of Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Linda Carpenter, who has previously expressed impatience with the slow pace of the review.
The Initial Discovery of Greenberg Pointed Towards Murder
Greenberg was discovered on Jan. 26, 2011, by her fiancé, Sam Goldberg, inside their Philadelphia apartment during a blizzard. She had been stabbed 20 times—in the neck, back, head, and chest—and had 11 bruises in various stages of healing. A kitchen knife was still lodged in her chest. Initially, then–assistant medical examiner Dr. Marlon Osbourne ruled the case a homicide. But within weeks, after consulting with the Philadelphia Police Department, he changed the ruling to suicide—a move that effectively shut down any criminal investigation. Goldberg was never charged or considered a suspect.
Her Parents Have Fought The Decision For Over A Decade
The decision has haunted Ellen’s parents, Sandee and Josh Greenberg, ever since. They have spent the past 14 years challenging the official ruling, hiring top forensic experts, funding private investigations, and gathering more than 167,000 petition signatures urging the city to reopen the case. Their persistence culminated earlier this year in a settlement with the City of Philadelphia, the former Chief Medical Examiner Sam Gulino, and others. The agreement included a monetary payment and a promise to reevaluate Ellen’s manner of death.
Philadelphia’s M.E. Community Can’t Agree On Her Cause of Death
In February, Dr. Osbourne himself signed a sworn statement saying he no longer believes Ellen died by suicide. But Philadelphia’s current Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Lindsay Simon, ultimately came to a different conclusion. Simon wrote that, despite the “unusual distribution” of Ellen’s wounds, “the fact remains that Ellen would be capable of inflicting these injuries herself,” citing her history of anxiety and the lack of defensive wounds or evidence of a struggle in the apartment. “With all of this information considered,” Simon wrote, “it is the opinion of the undersigned that the manner of Ellen Greenberg’s death is best classified as ‘suicide.’ All opinions stated in this report are expressed with a reasonable degree of medical certainty.”
A “Deeply Flawed” Ruling
The Greenbergs’ attorney, Joe Podraza, called the review “deeply flawed,” saying it “builds a flimsy case on the distorted portrayal of Ellen’s mental health and ignores key evidence that contradicts suicide.” Ellen’s story, and her parents’ years-long pursuit of justice, was recently chronicled in the ABC News Studios docuseries Death in Apartment 603: What Happened to Ellen Greenberg?, which reignited public interest in the case and spotlighted the inconsistencies experts say remain unresolved.
