The Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office has concluded that Ellen Greenberg’s 2011 death should be classified as a suicide, despite her family and friends maintaining she was murdered.
Greenberg, 27, was found dead in her Philadelphia apartment on January 26, 2011, with 20 stab wounds and multiple bruises. Initial autopsy results ruled the death a homicide, but the manner of death was later changed to suicide.
Her parents, Sandee and Josh Greenberg, have spent 14 years seeking answers. They hired forensic experts, gathered over 167,000 petition signatures, and filed multiple lawsuits alleging the original investigation was mishandled.
Some experts, including Dr. Cyril Wecht and Dr. Wayne Ross, concluded that Greenberg’s wounds were not self-inflicted and suggested evidence of strangulation and postmortem injuries.
A three-part docuseries, Death in Apartment 603: What Happened to Ellen Greenberg?, recently documented the family’s efforts to reopen the case.
Philadelphia Chief Medical Examiner Lindsay Simon, in a 32-page review, stated that after reviewing all available materials, she believes Greenberg was capable of inflicting the injuries herself.
Simon noted there was no DNA from the fiancé on the knife, no evidence of an abusive relationship, and no signs of a struggle at the scene. She concluded the death should remain classified as suicide.
The decision comes just ahead of a scheduled hearing before Philadelphia Common Pleas Court judge Linda Carpenter.
