Ep. 041 - 042 | Justice for Ellen Greenberg
In 2011, 27-year-old Ellen Greenberg was discovered dead in her apartment by her fiancé, Sam Goldberg. She had 20 stab wounds, and a knife still sticking out of her heart. Her death was originally ruled a homicide, but after the medical examiner learned that the fiancé had to break the door down because it was locked from the inside, he changed the manner of death to suicide.
But the math wasn’t mathing here. How could a woman stab herself 10 times in the BACK of her head, neck & shoulders? How could she make the final wound to the heart despite the previous stab wounds to her spine and cranial cavity? Ellen’s parents spent 14 years of their lives and over $700k fighting to get the manner of death changed from suicide so their daughter’s death could be investigated.
Finally, in 2025, the original medical examiner released a statement agreeing that the manner of death should not have been ruled a suicide, and authorities have agreed to re-investigate the case.
SOURCES:
6abc. (2011). Woman's death in Manayunk ruled a homicide, then suicide. 6abc. https://6abc.com/archive/7926882/
CBS News. (2023). Homicide or suicide? Conflicting findings arise in stabbing death of PA teacher. CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/homicide-or-suicide-conflicting-findings-arise-in-stabbing-death-of-pa-teacher/
CNN. (2024, December). Ellen Greenberg death: A closer look at a Philadelphia teacher’s tragic case. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/2024/12/us/ellen-greenberg-death-philadelphia-cec-cnnphotos/
Crime Timelines. (n.d.). Ellen Greenberg. Crime Timelines. Retrieved March 2, 2025, from https://crimetimelines.com/ellen-greenberg/
Crime Timelines. (2024, August). Ellen Greenberg autopsy report. Crime Timelines. https://crimetimelines.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Ellen-Rae-Greenberg-Autopsy-January-26-2011.pdf
Crime Timelines. (n.d.). Ellen Greenberg autopsy 3D models. Crime Timelines. Retrieved March 2, 2025, from https://crimetimelines.com/wp-content/uploads/Ellen-Greenberg-Autopsy-3D-Models.pdf
Fox News. (2024). Judge tied to Ellen Greenberg’s fiancé took items from her "suicide" scene before police search. Fox News. https://www.foxnews.com/us/judge-tied-ellen-greenberg-fiance-took-items-from-her-suicide-scene-before-police-search
Lamb McErlane PC. (2022). ‘It was very, very weird’: A civil suit reveals new details in the case of Ellen Greenberg. https://www.lambmcerlane.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/inquirer.com-It-was-very-very-weird-A-civil-suit-reveals-new-details-in-the-case-of-Ellen-Greenberg.pdf
NBC News. (2021). Parents of Ellen Greenberg believe new evidence should reopen case, attorney general reviewing findings. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/cold-case-spotlight/parents-ellen-greenberg-believe-new-evidence-submitted-philadelphia-attorney-general-n1286606
NBC Philadelphia. (2024). Ellen Greenberg case: Will authorities reopen the investigation? NBC Philadelphia. https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/ellen-greenberg-case-death-reopen/4097587/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
PennLive. (2019, May). Suicide or homicide? Parents' anguished search for answers lasts years after daughter's death by 20 stab wounds. PennLive. https://www.pennlive.com/news/2019/05/suicide-or-homicide-parents-anguished-search-for-answers-lasts-years-after-daughter-dies-of-20-stab-wounds.html
People. (2024). Pathologist who ruled teacher’s stabbing death a suicide now says he was wrong. People. https://people.com/pathologist-ruled-teachers-stabbing-death-suicide-says-he-was-wrong-8785049?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Olszewski, S. (2024, August). Death investigation report on Ellen Greenberg. Crime Timelines. https://crimetimelines.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Official-Report-Me-Inv-RPT.pdf
