Prosecutors take new look at teacher’s death that was ruled a suicide despite 20 stab wounds
Nearly 15 years after teacher Ellen Greenberg was found stabbed in her Philadelphia home, federal prosecutors are looking into the case, according to a new report – a move her parents have been fighting for since her tragic death was ruled a suicide.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has issued subpoenas seeking documents from the Philadelphia Police Department and other agencies related to their highly-scrutinized investigation into Greenberg’s 2011 death, law enforcement sources told The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Greenberg, 27, was found dead by her fiancé, Sam Goldberg, at their apartment on January 26, 2011. She was slumped on the floor against the kitchen cabinets, her legs splayed out in front of her and had been stabbed at least 20 times, including 10 times in the back of her neck. A 10-inch knife was lodged in her chest.
Her death was initially ruled a homicide but controversially reclassified as a suicide two weeks later – a decision that stunned her family and prompted a decade-long legal fight.
The federal inquiry does not appear to be focused on the manner of Greenberg’s death. Instead, federal prosecutors appear to be examining how various agencies handled the case in the years that followed – and whether any missteps could rise to the level of criminal corruption.
Multiple city and state agencies have been involved in Greenberg’s case in the last 15 years, including the Philadelphia Police Department, the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, the Philadelphia Law Department, and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office.
The full scope of the investigation remains unclear. The Independent has asked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for comment.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office told The Philadelphia Inquirer that it could “neither confirm nor deny the existence of an investigation.”
Joseph Podraza Jr., an attorney for Greenberg’s parents Josh and Sandra Greenberg, told the newspaper that they are “ecstatic.”
“If that is in fact correct and accurate, that the federal government is going to investigate … this is exactly what we’ve wanted all along,” Podraza said. “It’s unfortunate it’s taken more than seven years to get to this point but we are really grateful and thankful to the U.S. attorneys and, of course, are available to assist in any way we can in helping their investigation.”
Greenberg’s parents have long argued that the evidence shows their daughter was murdered, accusing the city of labeling her death a suicide to obscure what they describe as a botched homicide investigation.
“Our daughter did not commit suicide — we know that,” Josh Greenberg previously told The Independent. “She was murdered.”
“The way the authorities and the politicians are handling her case is a disgrace,” Sandra Greenberg said. “I want her name cleared. What I really want people to know is Ellen was our daughter, but she could be your daughter. She could be your mother, sister, friend. Think about what you would do.”
The Philadelphia Police Department maintains there was no sign of forced entry at the apartment and Goldberg told investigators that the swing-bar lock on the door was latched from the inside. He has never been accused or charged with any wrongdoing.
In 2024, Goldberg told CNN: “Mental illness is very real and has many victims. I hope and pray that you never lose someone you love like I did to a terrible disease and then be accused by ignorant and misinformed people of causing her death.” It’s the only time Goldberg has publicly spoken about the case.
For years, the Greenbergs have fought to have their daughter’s manner of death reclassified as homicide or undetermined.
In January 2025, Marlon Osbourne, the medical examiner who originally ruled Greenberg’s death a homicide before changing it to suicide, submitted a sworn statement saying he now believes her death should be classified as something other than suicide.
A month later, the city reached a settlement with the Greenbergs. Under the agreement, Philadelphia paid the family $650,000 and agreed to an independent review of Greenberg’s autopsy. In exchange, the Greenbergs dropped their lawsuits against the city.
In September, Greenberg’s case was again in the headlines following the release of a Hulu documentary which revisited the circumstances surrounding her death and raised questions about her fiance’s actions, including his 911 call in which he told dispatchers she had “fallen on a knife.”
In 2024, Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court acknowledged serious flaws in the investigation even as it dismissed a lawsuit seeking to change Greenberg’s death certificate.
The court wrote that it was “acutely aware of the deeply flawed investigation” conducted by city police, prosecutors, and the City of Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office.
But in October 2025, Philadelphia Chief Medical Examiner Lindsay Simon again ruled Greenberg’s death a suicide, despite identifying additional injuries not previously documented.
Simon said she found 20 additional bruises and three additional “perforations in the skin,” bringing the total to 31 bruises and 23 stab wounds.
Simon concluded that Greenberg “would be capable of inflicting these injuries herself,” and that her death “is best classified as ‘Suicide.’”
The ruling was a major blow to the family, whose attorney previously called the suicide determination “tripe, an embarrassment to the City, and an insult to Ellen and her family.”
If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans in confidence on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email [email protected], or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
