The city of Philadelphia reached a settlement on Monday with the parents of Ellen Greenberg, a teacher whose death in 2011 was initially ruled a suicide despite the presence of nearly two dozen stab wounds and bruises. As part of the agreement, the city’s medical examiner will re-examine Greenberg’s cause of death for the first time in 14 years. The undisclosed settlement amount will be paid to Dr. Josh and Sandee Greenberg, as confirmed by their attorney, Joseph Podraza. Ellen Greenberg, 27, was discovered in her kitchen with 20 stab wounds and a knife in her chest on January 26, 2011, during a blizzard.
Following a judge’s decision that allowed a lawsuit filed by her parents against the city of Philadelphia to proceed to trial in 2022, Dr. Marlon Osbourne, the forensic pathologist at the city medical examiner’s office, changed his initial ruling of suicide. Instead, he expressed that Greenberg’s manner of death should be classified differently. The Greenbergs entered a Philadelphia courtroom to initiate the trial, accusing local officials and the medical examiner’s office of concealing the true nature of their daughter’s death in a coordinated effort.
The family has persistently pushed back against the suicide ruling and alleged a cover-up by officials involved in the investigation of Ellen’s death. The Greenbergs have been vocal about seeking justice for their daughter, emphasizing that the handling of the crime scene was inadequate. Despite the challenges they have faced in their legal battles with the government, they remain unwavering in their pursuit of the truth surrounding Ellen’s tragic demise. Ellen Greenberg’s death, marked by the discovery of 20 stab wounds, occurred while she was making preparations for her upcoming wedding with her fiancé, Sam Goldberg.
According to court documents, injuries found on the victim may have been inflicted after her death, as she was already covered in bruises at different stages of healing, indicating they occurred over a period of time. The Greenbergs and investigators have raised concerns about the crime scene being cleaned before detectives arrived with a search warrant. Additionally, questions have been raised about Judge James Schwartzman, a relative of the victim, being allowed to remove her belongings from the apartment. A representative for Schwartzman stated that he was given permission by the police to take the items as the door was damaged and unsecure. The Greenbergs have filed a lawsuit to change the cause of death on the victim’s certificate from “suicide” to “homicide” or “undetermined,” with the case pending before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Philadelphia police have not commented on the case due to ongoing civil litigation.
