Philadelphia Reopens Investigation into Teacher’s 2011 Stabbing Death

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — The city of Philadelphia has agreed to reopen the investigation into the 2011 death of Ellen Greenberg, a 27-year-old teacher whose death was initially ruled a homicide before being controversially changed to suicide. The settlement, reached on Feb. 3, 2025, comes after years of legal battles waged by Greenberg’s parents, who have long contested the official cause of death.

Greenberg was found dead in her Manayunk apartment on Jan. 26, 2011, during a blizzard. Her fiancé, Sam Goldberg, discovered her body in their kitchen with 20 stab wounds, including 10 to the back of her neck. A half-made fruit salad was found on the countertop, and Greenberg was covered in bruises in various stages of healing, according to the autopsy report.

Dr. Marlon Osbourne, the forensic pathologist who initially ruled Greenberg’s death a homicide, later changed the cause of death to suicide after meeting with police. In a recent statement, Osbourne backtracked, writing, “It is my professional opinion Ellen’s manner of death should be designated as something other than suicide.” He cited additional information that was not available at the time of the original ruling.

The Greenbergs have accused local officials and the medical examiner’s office of covering up their daughter’s death. “We are getting closer to justice for Ellen,” Sandee Greenberg, Ellen’s mother, told Fox News Digital after a December hearing. “We are very determined and not giving up.”

The case has been mired in controversy, with questions raised about the handling of the crime scene. Investigators have criticized why the scene was professionally cleaned before detectives arrived with a search warrant and why Goldberg’s uncle, James Schwartzman, a prominent Pennsylvania judge, was allowed to remove Greenberg’s belongings, including her computer and cellphone.

In 2019, the Greenbergs filed a lawsuit seeking to change the death certificate from “suicide” to “homicide” or “undetermined.” That case remains pending before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the Chester County District Attorney’s Office, which took over the investigation in 2022, announced in November 2024 that they could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime was committed.

Despite the setbacks, the Greenbergs remain steadfast in their pursuit of justice. “I’m hoping we’re going to prove that Ellen did not commit suicide,” Josh Greenberg, Ellen’s father, told NBC10. “That’s what this is all about. Justice for Ellen.”

Attorneys representing the city declined to comment on the settlement, but the Greenbergs’ legal team said the new review would be conducted expeditiously.