Ellen Greenberg's death on January 6, 2011, has been a source of controversy and frustration for over a decade. The 27-year-old Philadelphia teacher was found dead in her apartment with 20 stab wounds, including 10 to the back of her head and neck. Despite the shocking details, authorities ruled her death a suicide. Unsurprisingly, this decision has been met with widespread disbelief, not only from the public but from forensic experts and even Pennsylvania judges.
The most glaring issue with the investigation is the chaotic handling of the crime scene. According to Joe Podraza, the Greenberg family's lawyer, a crime scene cleanup company entered the apartment before police had even secured a search warrant. Let that sink in. Before investigators had a chance to fully assess the scene, it was sanitized. If that doesn't scream mishandling, what does? Even more, the knife found in Ellen's chest was never fingerprinted, and no luminol-a standard tool used to detect blood traces-was used. It seems almost unbelievable that these basic investigative procedures were skipped in such a high-stakes situation.
There are layers upon layers of unanswered questions, and many have pointed to a need for an independent investigation. That is now happening, thanks to the Chester County District Attorney's Office stepping in after both the Philadelphia DA and the former state Attorney General (now Governor) Josh Shapiro recused themselves. This independent probe, now two years in, gives some hope to those seeking justice for Ellen, but the road has been painfully long.
Outside investigators and amateur sleuths have poured over hours of surveillance footage from Ellen's apartment building, looking for any clue that might provide insight. The footage, which includes people coming and going from the lobby on the day of her death, has sparked more questions than answers. One investigator flagged a man acting "nervously" in the lobby, even using a tissue to dab blood from an unspecified injury. And yet, despite these potential leads, the Greenberg family says there's even more video that police haven't released. Dr. Josh Greenberg, Ellen's father, insists that crucial footage, including a recording by the building manager, Melissa Ware, is being withheld.
Adding to the mystery is Ellen's fianc?, Sam Goldberg. Although cleared by investigators, Goldberg's actions that day-along with questions about who else may have had access to the apartment-continue to loom over the case. Footage from 2011 shows Goldberg in the building, and while no definitive evidence has tied him to wrongdoing, suspicions remain. And, as is often the case in botched investigations, every missing piece of evidence casts more doubt on the official story.
Forensic experts who've reviewed the case, like Dr. Cyril Wecht and Dr. Henry Lee, have strongly suggested that Ellen's death was no suicide. Dr. Wecht, before his passing, stated that the evidence pointed to homicide, a sentiment echoed by Dr. Lee, who found the nature of the wounds-especially those to the back of Ellen's head-"highly suspicious." The idea that someone could stab themselves in the back of the head multiple times, and with enough force to cause such severe injuries, stretches the bounds of logic.
The Philadelphia Police Department has remained tight-lipped, citing the ongoing investigation. But to many, including the Greenberg family, it feels like stonewalling. The family has fought tirelessly for 14 years, enduring lawsuit after lawsuit, just to get basic answers. Their demand is simple: change the cause of death on Ellen's certificate from "suicide" to "undetermined" or "homicide." Yet, even that modest goal has been elusive.
In one of the most damning rulings, a panel of appellate judges acknowledged the flaws in the investigation while denying the Greenbergs' request to force a change in the death certificate. These judges criticized the handling of the case, the lack of thorough interviews, and the missing pieces of evidence, all of which seem to support the family's claims that Ellen didn't take her own life.
This case has all the hallmarks of a tragic mystery-botched investigations, missing evidence, and a family fighting for justice in the face of bureaucratic roadblocks. But at the heart of it is a young woman who deserves answers. The hope now is that the independent investigation will uncover what really happened to Ellen Greenberg that snowy January day, and finally bring some closure to a case that has haunted her family and baffled the public for far too long.
