On a snowy January evening in 2011, Ellen Rae Greenberg, a 27-year-old female teacher, was found dead in the Philadelphia apartment she shared with her fiancé. The scene was grim, with Ms. Greenberg having sustained 20 stab wounds, a significant number of which were to the back of her neck and head, in addition to 11 bruises in various stages of healing on her body.
Her fiancé, Samuel Goldberg, told authorities he had returned from the apartment gym to find the door locked from the inside with a swing latch. After forcing his way in, he said he discovered her on the kitchen floor. In a call to 911, he initially reported that she had 'stabbed herself' and later that she may have 'fell on a knife.'
The initial determination by the medical examiner following an autopsy was that Ellen Greenberg's death was a homicide. However, this ruling was soon amended to suicide after a meeting between the medical examiner's office and the Philadelphia Police Department. This change has been a central point of contention and has fueled a lengthy and public battle by Greenberg's parents, who are convinced their daughter was murdered. They have pointed to the nature and location of the wounds as evidence that it would have been physically impossible for her to inflict them herself. The scene was also cleaned by a crime scene cleaning crew shortly after the initial investigation, a fact that has been criticized by the family's attorneys.
Despite the controversial nature of the case and years of legal challenges and independent reviews, no arrests have ever been made, and no suspects have been officially named. The case has been passed between various law enforcement agencies, including the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office and the Chester County District Attorney's office, due to perceived conflicts of interest. In November 2024, the Chester County District Attorney's Office announced the investigation was being placed in an inactive status, stating they could not prove a crime had been committed beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case has seen numerous developments over the years, including civil lawsuits filed by the Greenberg family against the city and the original pathologist, Dr. Marlon Osbourne. At one point, Dr. Osbourne stated in a legal document that he no longer stood by his suicide ruling after reviewing new information. However, subsequent reviews by the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office, most recently in October 2025, have reaffirmed the manner of death as suicide. The most recent development came in early 2026, with reports that federal prosecutors have issued subpoenas, suggesting a new investigation may be underway, not into the death itself, but into the handling of the case by various agencies. Ellen Greenberg's fiancé was never considered a suspect by authorities.
