Major update in case of Ellen Greenberg's 'suicide' death after body found with 20 stab wounds

A aesculapian examiner says the decease of a Pennsylvania teacher recovered with 20 stab wounds should beryllium ruled arsenic 'something different than suicide' aft learning caller accusation that impacted his opinion.

Ellen Greenberg, 27, was found dormant connected the room level of her flat successful Philadelphia successful the mediate of a blizzard connected January 26, 2011. 

Former adjunct Philadelphia Medical Examiner Marlon Osbourne initially ruled her decease a homicide, but changed it to termination aft a gathering with constabulary and prosecutors. 

In a bombshell caller ineligible verification connected Saturday, Dr. Osbourne changed his submission - a large measurement guardant successful the family's decades-long combat to alteration Ellen's mode of decease from termination to either homicide oregon undetermined.

'It is my nonrecreational sentiment Ellen's mode of decease should beryllium designated arsenic thing different than suicide,' Dr. Osbourne stated successful the filing.

Osbourne said the determination was made aft helium became alert of caller accusation that drew the archetypal ruling into question. 

'For example, whether Ellen's fiancé was witnessed entering the flat earlier placing the 9-1-1 telephone connected January 26, 2011; whether the doorway was forced unfastened arsenic reported; and whether Ellen's assemblage was moved by idiosyncratic other wrong the flat with her astatine oregon adjacent the clip of her death,' Osbourne wrote.

Osbourne besides cited the findings of MD Lindsey Emery, who conducted a neuropathological valuation of Ellen's cervical conception sample.

The caller ruling is simply a immense improvement successful a civilian suit filed by Ellen's parents, which accused the metropolis of Philadelphia of falsely labeling their daughters stabbing decease a termination arsenic a mode to screen up a botched homicide investigation. 

A justice ruled connected Friday that their affectional distress civilian lawsuit against the metropolis tin officially spell to trial.

The caller ruling besides orders that aesculapian examiners Osbourne and Sam Gulino arsenic good arsenic homicide detective John McNamee indispensable attest arsenic each of them took portion successful orchestrating the the alleged cover-up.

'I'm hoping we're going to beryllium that Ellen did not perpetrate suicide,' Josh Greenberg, Ellen's father, told NBC10. 'That's what this is each about. Justice for Ellen.' 

On January 6, 2011, Ellen was recovered dormant by her fiancé successful the room of her flat on Flat Rock Road.

The first-grade teacher had suffered 10 stab wounds to her cervix and the backmost of the head, and 10 to her stomach, abdomen and thorax - with a 10-inch weapon inactive plunged into her heart.

The weapon went done her thorax and pierced her liver, slashed her aorta and severed the dura mater, the membrane surrounding her spinal column. 

Another coiled was much than 3 inches deep, adjacent the basal of her skull, and caused a bleeding stroke.

Samuel Goldberg, Ellen's fiancé, called 911 saying helium recovered her successful a excavation of humor aft forcing his mode wrong the apartment erstwhile she wouldn't answer. 

Both the Philadelphia Police and the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office investigated her death.

Because the flat doorway was locked from the wrong and her fiancé - who claimed to person breached down the doorway - had nary antiaircraft wounds, constabulary determined her decease to beryllium a suicide.

Despite her decease primitively being ruled arsenic a homicide - citing the ample fig of stab wounds - constabulary publically challenged the findings. Osbourne yet switched the ruling to termination without immoderate existent explanation. 

For the past decade, Josh and Sandee Greenberg, Ellen's parents, person sought to alteration the ruling backmost to homicide. They filed a suit against the city, which the metropolis objected.

They argued that authorities instrumentality 'makes wide that a aesculapian examiner tin beryllium incorrect arsenic to the mode of decease yet cannot beryllium compelled to alteration it,' according to NBC.

From past on, the combat to get justness for their girl was successful limbo. In 2018, the probe was turned implicit to the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office for review.

In 2022, the probe was turned implicit to Chester County detectives arsenic a mode to debar the quality of a struggle of interest.

After interviews and discussions with an autarkic forensic expert, the DA bureau announced that they could not beryllium beyond a tenable uncertainty that a transgression was committed - placing the probe arsenic inactive.

In December of 2024, Ellen's parents appeared successful tribunal for the archetypal clip and listened arsenic their lawyer presented the arguments made successful the suit against the city. 

Judge Michael Erdos told the household that the determination to power the decease ruling had baffled him arsenic well.

He said: 'I don't deliberation anyone disagrees the transgression country should person been handled differently. The information the decease certificate lists the origin of decease arsenic termination is puzzling.'

As the years person dragged on, pathologists, transgression country experts, instrumentality enforcement and lawyers person expressed doubts implicit the termination ruling. 

Goldberg has spent the past decennary arsenic a people of suspicion by those convinced Ellen was murdered. 

For the past 13 years, Goldberg has ever stuck to his communicative that helium returned from the gym successful the gathering and realized helium had locked himself out. 

In December of 2024, it was revealed that Goldberg sent his fiancée 9 messages implicit the people of 22 minutes portion she was lying dormant connected the different broadside of the door.

In order, helium texted her: 'Hello', 'open the door', 'what r u doin', 'I'm getting p*****', 'hello', 'you amended person an excuse', 'what the f***', 'ahhh', and 'u person nary idea'.

Ellen earlier texted her person Alycia Young astir 3:40pm and mentioned ongoing occupation successful her enactment arsenic a teacher, which according to friends was causing her stress, a CNN Investigation reported.

Those were the past outgoing substance messages sent from her mobile phone, with Goldberg's compartment besides going soundless astir then, according to records.

His telephone information besides showed predominant and regular telephone enactment successful the time earlier her death, different than a spread betwixt 4pm and 7pm.

The regular of call-making continued the adjacent greeting and afternoon, but helium was vigor soundless from 3:40pm until 5:30pm connected the time she died.

Surveillance footage showed him getting disconnected the elevator and walking towards the gym successful the gathering astatine 4:50pm wherever helium told cops helium utilized the elliptical for a fractional hour.

At 5:26pm helium was past seen walking towards the concierge table to cheque his message earlier helium past returned to his flat and realized helium was locked out.

When asked by detectives wherefore helium didn't unit the doorway close away, helium said: 'I thought she was successful the shower, doing her hair, oregon doing enactment with her headphones on, oregon adjacent taking a nap.'

As 5:32pm came around, his substance messages started to stitchery up connected Ellen's unanswered mobile. He past resorted to calling her parent Sandee.

Neighbors recalled to officers that they heard him successful the hallway banging connected the door. He adjacent went downstairs to inquire for a instrumentality to undo the latch connected the door.

In the hr earlier helium managed to summation entry, helium besides spoke with his relative Kamian Schwartzman and his uncle James Schwartzman - some of whom are attorneys.

They said that they had been connected the telephone with Goldberg arsenic helium forced the doorway of his flat - which didn't stack up with surveillance footage and his telephone records.

Goldberg told officers helium forced the doorway astatine 6:29pm. At 6:26pm, telephone records indicated that helium got a telephone from Schwartzman which lasted 1 infinitesimal and 12 seconds.

At 6.30pm, helium placed a telephone to 911 wherever helium tin beryllium heard telling the operator, who had to impulse him to execute CPR: 'She fell connected a knife. Oh no, her knife's sticking out.'  

Ellen's parents person said that their girl began feeling tense and anxious successful the months earlier her death. They ended up making her a woody that she could travel location if she saw a psychiatrist astir what was troubling her, to which she agreed. 

Psychiatrist Ellen Berman saw Ellen 3 times, diagnosed her with anxiety, and prescribed her Ambien and Klonopin - but was precise wide that she wasn't suicidal. 

Goldberg is progressively successful the number successful his insistence that Ellen killed herself, peculiarly fixed the fig and determination of her stab wounds. Yet, helium has ne'er been suspected by authorities of foul play. 

The civilian lawsuit accusing the metropolis of affectional distress for allegedly mishandling Ellen's decease probe and covering it up goes to proceedings adjacent week. It is 1 of 2 civilian cases filed by Ellen's parents. 

The 2nd lawsuit, which is pending earlier the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, aims to alteration the ruling connected their daughter's decease certificate, NBC reported.

Jury enactment volition statesman Monday greeting astatine 9am for the affectional distress civilian case.