In 2011, the death of 27-year-old Philadelphia teacher Ellen Greenberg sent shockwaves through her community. Found in her apartment during a snowstorm, Ellen had been stabbed 20 times—in her neck, head, and chest—with the murder weapon still in place. Initially ruled a homicide, the case soon took a baffling turn: investigators quietly changed the cause of death to suicide, a conclusion that continues to fuel anguish for Ellen’s family more than a decade later.
The night of her death, Ellen’s fiancé, Sam Goldberg, told police he returned home from the gym to find the apartment door locked from the inside. After receiving no response to his calls and texts, he forced the door open and discovered Ellen lying on the kitchen floor. Police noted there were no signs of forced entry or struggle, and building staff confirmed no one else had entered. Though the assistant medical examiner initially classified her death as a homicide, the ruling shifted to suicide following a private meeting with police, abruptly halting further investigation.
Ellen’s parents, Joshua and Sandee Greenberg, have never accepted that conclusion. They argue that it would have been impossible for Ellen to stab herself 20 times, pointing to the nature of her injuries as evidence of foul play. Over the years, they have spent their own money to hire independent experts, including forensic pathologists Dr. Cyril Wecht and Dr. Wayne Ross. Both concluded that Ellen’s wounds were inconsistent with self-infliction and suggested possible strangulation, raising suspicions that the scene had been staged. Despite this evidence, city officials recently upheld the original suicide determination, leaving the Greenbergs devastated.
The family’s attorney called the city’s decision “an embarrassment” and pledged to pursue other legal avenues. Joshua and Sandee maintain that Ellen had planned to leave her fiancé that day, citing packed personal items as evidence. Their ongoing fight for justice has turned Ellen’s case into a symbol of a broader struggle—one for truth, accountability, and the memory of a young woman whose story her family refuses to let fade.