Philadelphia More than a decade after the tragic death of 27 year-old teacher Ellen Greenberg, her case continues to raise painful questions and public outrage even seen on recent big news like Fox 5. Greenberg was discovered in her apartment in January 2011 with 23 stab wounds, including injuries to her neck, chest, and back which most people find it hard to believe this. The act of death was ultimately ruled a suicide, many like her family, independent medical experts, and legal Team remain unconvinced.
Greenberg, is a brilliant first-grade teacher at Juniata Park Academy, was found by her fiancé, Sam Goldberg, inside their locked Manayunk apartment back then. Goldberg told police he had returned home from the gym and found the door locked from the inside can you image this. After forcing his way in, he discovered Ellen’s body slumped in the kitchen with a knife lodged in her chest my question is do you think this is possible ?.
The shocking details of the autopsy report 23 stab wounds and additional bruising initially led investigators to classify the case as a homicide. However, the ruling was later changed to suicide, a decision that sparked ongoing controversy and heartbreak for Greenberg’s loved ones because how do you manage to do this to yourself.
The Philadelphia Medica Office later said its ruling by citing the lack of defensive signs of forced entry a term used to describe tentative injuries they also described several of the stab wounds as “hesitation marks,” injuries sometimes seen in suicides.
But Greenberg’s family has never accepted that explanation. Through years of appeals and public advocacy, they’ve continued to fight for the case to be re-opened as a homicide investigation. Family attorneys argue that the number and placement of the wounds make self-infliction virtually impossible. Independent forensic experts who reviewed the evidence have supported that concern, saying the injuries to the back of Greenberg’s neck and head are inconsistent with suicide.
In 2025, following a lengthy legal battle, a city-mandated review once again concluded that the death was self-inflicted, reaffirming the original “suicide” ruling. The Greenberg family has called this latest finding “deeply flawed” and vowed to continue pushing for transparency and a full reinvestigation.
Community members and supporters have rallied behind the family, holding vigils and sharing the hashtag #JusticeForEllenGreenberg across social media platforms. The case has also drawn national attention through true-crime documentaries and investigative reports questioning how a woman could sustain such injuries without foul play.
A Lasting Tragedy
More than 14 years later, Ellen Greenberg’s death remains one of Philadelphia’s most haunting unsolved mysteries. Her family remembers her as a compassionate teacher, a loyal friend, and a bright spirit whose life was cut short under circumstances that still defy belief.
