The death of Ellen Greenberg, a Philadelphia teacher, on January 6, 2011, poses significant questions concerning the initial investigation and ruling. Discovered with 20 stab wounds, 10 of which were to the back of her head and neck, her death was controversially ruled a suicide. This decision was met with skepticism from various quarters, including outside investigators and a panel of Pennsylvania judges, who noted considerable insufficiencies in both the police response and autopsy reports. They have called for an independent review to be conducted.
A troubling aspect of the case is the crime scene management. A cleaning firm cleared the apartment, allegedly before police executed a search warrant, as stated by the Greenberg family's attorney, Joe Podraza. Critical evidence, such as the knife found in Ellen’s chest, was not fingerprinted, and another possible weapon remains unfound. Investigators also failed to use luminol, a chemical that illuminates blood traces, during their examination of the scene. Presently, an independent investigation is led by the Chester County District Attorney's Office, initiated after Philadelphia DA Larry Krasner and former Attorney General Josh Shapiro recused themselves.
Across the country, the case has engaged amateur sleuths and family supporters, who have scrutinized hours of surveillance footage from Ellen’s apartment for potential clues. Two investigators have communicated findings to her family. Sandee, Ellen's mother, and her father, Dr. Josh Greenberg, have voiced hopes for justice while grappling with the limitations of the evidence currently accessible. Dr. Greenberg revealed police had only shared a three-hour video segment, rather than a full day before and after Ellen's death. He suspects further insights may lie within unreleased recordings.
Litigation and requests to change the official cause of death from 'suicide' to 'undetermined' or 'homicide' have been met with resistance. The parents remain embroiled in legal battles, seeking accountability. Police have been reticent, citing ongoing investigations and legal proceedings. In a public statement, the renowned forensic pathologist Dr. Marlon Osbourne, who performed the autopsy, deemed the wounds self-inflicted. However, the findings face critical examination by esteemed pathologists, such as Dr. Cyril Wecht and Dr. Henry Lee.
Wecht's independent review concluded the wounds suggested homicide, noting it improbable Ellen could self-inflict such injuries, especially given the suspicious nature of the scene and evidence, including the incongruity of a spotless towel clutched in her hand amidst a bloodbath. Compounded by the expert analyses, Dr. Lee similarly found the direction and manner of the inflictions inconsistent with suicide. The case persists under intense scrutiny as Ellen's parents, Sandee and Dr. Josh Greenberg, tenaciously pursue the truth behind their daughter's tragic and complex case.
