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Ellen R. Greenberg

The person at the center of this case

Ellen R. Greenberg

Case
#8
Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office; Philadelphia Police Department; Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office
Cold Case · Open/Disputed - Ruled suicide by Philadelphia Medical Examiner in 2011; family civil suit ongoing to reclassify as homicide or undetermined and reopen investigation
361 days waiting

Ellen Greenberg

Justice for Ellen R. Greenberg — the trail went cold in 2025, but the truth hasn't.

Start here

Key leads to think about

🔍
evidence
Lead #1

Why did the Medical Examiner reverse the initial homicide ruling to suicide without explanation to the family, and what new evidence prompted this change?

🔍
evidence
Lead #2

The autopsy documented 20 stab wounds across multiple areas of the body—how is this consistent with suicide, and what do independent forensic experts conclude?

🎯
suspect
Lead #3

What is the significance of the aggressive text messages from Samuel Goldberg on the day of death, and why was he not thoroughly investigated as a potential suspect?

Ellen Greenberg, a 27-year-old Philadelphia teacher, was found dead in her apartment on January 26, 2011, with multiple stab wounds to her chest and a knife embedded in her body. The Philadelphia Medical Examiner initially ruled her death a homicide but reversed the determination to suicide weeks later without explanation, a decision her family and independent forensic experts have contested for over a decade. The case remains deeply disputed, with significant inconsistencies in evidence and investigative findings that continue to raise questions about what actually happened that day.

Case
#8
Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office; Philadelphia Police Department; Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office

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More leads to consider

Beyond the top three above — each detail below could be the thread that pulls this case open.

📍
location
Lead #4

The 911 call indicates Ellen was found on her back, but police reports state she was slumped against cabinets—what explains this discrepancy in body position?

🔍
evidence
Lead #5

Internet searches for suicide methods and concerning text messages were cited as evidence, but why were these given more weight than the physical evidence of multiple stab wounds?

Have information about any of these leads?

Even the smallest detail could be the key to solving this case.

Official wording

Source Narrative

Case of Ellen Greenberg

Timeline of Events

📞
2011-01-26
14:33

Last outgoing call

Ellen made her last outgoing call at 2:33 PM

👁️
2011-01-26
16:45

Fiancé departure

Samuel Goldberg left the apartment to go to the gym

📞
2011-01-26
17:15

Unable to enter apartment

Goldberg returned and found the door locked from inside; began attempting contact via text, phone, and email

🔍
2011-01-26
18:33

Body discovered

Goldberg forced entry with security personnel present and discovered Ellen with a knife in her chest; 911 called

🔍
2011-01-26
18:40

Pronounced dead

PFD Medic-5 pronounced Ellen dead at the scene

Key Locations
Interactive map showing important locations related to this case

Case Information

Incident:January 26, 2011 at 2:33 PM
Last Updated:July 1, 2025

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Case Information

Incident:January 26, 2011 at 2:33 PM
Last Updated:July 1, 2025