Philadelphia's Chief Medical Examiner, Dr. Lindsay Simon, has upheld the determination that Ellen Greenberg's 2011 death was a suicide. Ellen Greenberg, a 27-year-old first-grade teacher at Juniata Park Academy, was found deceased in her locked apartment on January 26, 2011, with 20 stab wounds to her back, neck, and head, and a knife lodged in her chest. The case has generated considerable public debate over the years due to the nature of her injuries and the circumstances surrounding her death.
Greenberg had left school early that day due to a snowstorm. Her fiancé, Samuel Goldberg, reported finding her body after breaking into the apartment when she failed to answer his knocks. Goldberg has consistently stated that the apartment was secured from the inside and has not been charged with any crimes related to her death.
The case has attracted increased attention, particularly when Governor Josh Shapiro, then Attorney General of Pennsylvania, was speculated to be a vice presidential candidate. Critics, including political commentator Jack Posobiec, have questioned Shapiro's connection to the case due to his association with Goldberg's family.
The Greenberg family's attorney, Joseph Podraza Jr., has denounced the latest review as biased, claiming it represents a "deeply flawed attempt to justify a predetermined conclusion." He cites alleged inaccuracies in the medical examiner's report and the dismissal of evidence that could contradict the suicide ruling, including advanced 3D photogrammetry that the family believes demonstrates Ellen could not have self-inflicted her wounds.
Initially, the death was ruled a homicide but was later changed to suicide, a decision that has been in dispute ever since. The recent review was part of a settlement in which the family sought to have the death reclassified. Despite their efforts, the Medical Examiner's Office has maintained the suicide classification.
The ongoing debate over Ellen Greenberg's death continues to evoke legal battles, public discourse, and a quest for answers that her family believes are still out there.
