For more than a decade, Sandee and Joshua Greenberg have been searching for clarity over the tragic and mysterious death of their daughter, Ellen Rae Greenberg.
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Mail’s Trial USA podcast, the parents recounted the emotional and legal battle that has consumed their lives since 2011.
Ellen, 27, was a beloved elementary school teacher in Philadelphia when she was found dead in her locked apartment, bearing more than ten stab wounds to her head and neck.
While her death was initially ruled a homicide, the ruling was abruptly changed to suicide just weeks later—a decision that left her family shocked and desperate for answers.
The Autopsy Controversy
The Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office initially confirmed the homicide finding, but after pressure from local police, they reclassified Ellen’s death as a suicide in February 2011.
From that moment on, Sandee and Joshua launched an unrelenting campaign to have the case reopened.
Their persistence saw a breakthrough in 2024 when Dr. Marlon Osbourne, the medical examiner who performed Ellen’s autopsy, signed a sworn statement retracting the suicide determination.
This unexpected development reignited hope that the truth might finally come to light.
Experts Challenge the Suicide Ruling
Joshua Greenberg shared how Ellen’s own psychiatrist had documented that she was not suicidal.
“She was struggling with anxiety,” he explained. “If someone has anxiety, it doesn’t mean they’re going to take their own life.”
The Greenbergs also enlisted Dr. Cyril Wecht, a forensic expert with a long history of high-profile homicide reviews, including the JFK assassination.
Dr. Wecht raised serious doubts about the suicide ruling, pointing out that women rarely choose methods that are excruciatingly painful to end their lives, such as multiple stab wounds.
Multiple forensic specialists agreed, highlighting that several injuries, including one that severed Ellen’s spinal cord, would have made it physically impossible for her to continue harming herself.
At least one wound was determined to have occurred after death—further challenging the notion of suicide.
Questions Surrounding the Fiancé
At the time, Ellen was living with her fiancé, Samuel Goldberg, a 43-year-old lawyer.
Goldberg claimed he was at the gym when Ellen died, returning home to find the apartment locked.
He said he waited outside for nearly an hour before breaking in.
Sandee and Joshua remain skeptical of his account.
“Police never conducted a thorough investigation of that apartment,” Joshua said.
“By the time a search warrant was issued three days later, crime scene cleaners had already scrubbed the place.”
He also described how Goldberg’s uncle removed personal items, including computers, handbags, and car keys, without the family’s permission.
“As a lawyer, you’d expect him to know better than to touch potential evidence,” Joshua noted.
Sandee added her own unanswered questions.
“Why wasn’t Ellen wearing her engagement ring? Was she planning something? We simply don’t know.”
The Toll and New Hopes
Both parents admitted the years-long search for justice had taken a profound emotional toll.
But Sandee expressed cautious optimism following news of a federal investigation into how multiple agencies handled Ellen’s case.
Reports indicate that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has issued subpoenas to Philadelphia police, prosecutors, and the medical examiner’s office as part of a probe into possible corruption.
“That the case has moved out of Pennsylvania is very encouraging,” Sandee said.
“It might lead to answers, but we can’t predict the future.”
The Greenbergs continue their fight, hoping that one day the truth about Ellen’s death will finally be revealed.
Hear the Full Story
For a complete breakdown of Ellen Greenberg’s case, listeners can tune in to Trial USA, available on all major podcast platforms.
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