Philadelphia officials have doubled down on their bizarre conclusion in the death of Ellen Greenberg, a 27-year-old teacher stabbed 20 times in her locked apartment back in 2011. The latest review from the city’s medical examiner’s office, released just days ago, sticks with the suicide label despite wounds to her back, neck, and head—plus a knife still lodged in her chest when her fiancé found her.
Greenberg came home early that January day due to a snowstorm, only to be discovered lifeless by Samuel Goldberg after he broke through the door. No forced entry, no struggle evident, and Goldberg never faced charges. Yet the initial autopsy called it homicide before a sudden switch to suicide following a huddle between the medical examiner and police detectives.
Former Pennsylvania Attorney General and current Governor Josh Shapiro was running the investigation at the time when it was officially ruled a suicide.
This new 32-page report, penned by Chief Medical Examiner Lindsay Simon as part of a February 2025 settlement with Greenberg’s parents, admits the wounds are odd but insists she did it to herself.
“While the distribution of injuries is admittedly unusual, the fact remains that Ellen would be capable of inflicting these injuries herself,” the document states.
It points to her anxiety issues, notes no DNA from Goldberg on the knife, and claims no signs of abuse in their relationship. The conclusion? “With all of this information considered, it is the opinion of t