Ellen Greenberg Part 1

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1:59A note before we begin. Today's episode heavily discusses the topic of suicide. If you find that the discussion becomes overwhelming or triggers negative emotions, please prioritize your mental health above all else. Consider skipping this episode or reaching out to a support helpline in your area. You are not alone. Voices for Justice is a podcast that uses adult language and discusses sensitive and potentially triggering topics including violence, abuse, and murder. This podcast may not be appropriate for younger audiences. All parties are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Some names have been changed or omitted per their request or for safety purposes.

2:41Listener discretion is advised. My name is Sarah Turney and this is Voices for Justice.

2:52Today, I'm discussing the suspicious death of Ellen Greenberg. On January 26, 2011, 27-year-old Ellen Greenberg left her job as a school teacher early due to a snowstorm that completely blanketed the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area. On her way home, she stopped and filled up her gas tank. From here, Ellen headed to her apartment that she shared with her fiancé, Sam Goldberg. They were set to get married in August and had just sent out their save-the-dates a few weeks earlier. A few hours after Ellen arrives home, just after 6.30pm, Sam called 911 and reported that he had to break down the door to his and Ellen's apartment because it had been locked from the inside.

3:32When he got inside, he found Ellen in the kitchen with a knife sticking out of her chest. When officers arrived, they found multiple stab wounds on Ellen's chest. Deciding that these wounds were superficial, police quickly determined that Ellen's death was a suicide. The next day, an autopsy uncovered 20 stab wounds to Ellen's chest, stomach, back of her neck, and back of her head. The medical examiner ruled Ellen's death a murder. Despite these findings, the police declared Ellen's death a suicide and closed her case. Since then, for over a decade, Ellen's parents and a large group of experts have worked to uncover a lot of evidence that suggests Ellen was murdered.

4:16Ellen's mother, Sandy, told Dateline, quote, My daughter did not commit suicide. We've grieved her life for years. Now we want to clear her name. We want justice for her, and we want closure, end quote. This is the case of Ellen Greenberg. At 6.33pm on January 26, 2011, Sam Goldberg called 911 from the apartment he shared with his fiancée, Ellen Greenberg, in Philadelphia. Sam reported that he had just broken down the door and found Ellen on her back with blood everywhere. The dispatcher instructed Sam to remove Ellen's sweatshirt and start CPR, but Sam said he couldn't because there was a 10-inch knife sticking out of Ellen's heart.

5:00Sam spoke to the dispatcher for a little bit longer, basically confirming that help was on the way, and the dispatcher had the correct address. Then the call ended. After this, Sam called his parents to let them know what was going on. When they got off the phone, Sam's parents notified Ellen's parents of the news. But they couldn't travel to Ellen's apartment because there had been a huge snowstorm in Philadelphia that day, which I can't even begin to imagine how helpless they must have felt. But according to case documents, when first responders arrived, they pronounced 27-year-old Ellen dead.

5:33Now, let me take a moment to describe the scene, because it will be really important to keep in mind as I discuss statements from experts in this case. When first responders got to the scene, Ellen was found in the corner of the kitchen, between the sink and the stove. Now, this is what I would consider a typical layout for a kitchen in an apartment. Basically, it was two sets of countertops parallel to each other with no island in between. Ellen's shoulders were resting against the lower half of the kitchen cabinets. She was slumped downward, resting on her bottom and lower back. Her legs were extended outward, and her arms were parallel to her upper body.

6:09There was a 10-inch serrated cutco knife embedded in the left side of her chest through her clothing. Authorities believe this knife came from the knife block in the apartment. When Philadelphia police officers and an investigator from the medical examiner's office arrived, they noted that Ellen's right hand was, quote, closed in a loose fist, end quote. In her left hand, there was a, quote, nearly pristine, end quote, white hand towel. Ellen's glasses were on the floor to the right of her, and in between her lower leg area was a, quote, collection of dark-colored, longer hairs, end quote, which I think it's important to note that Ellen did have longer, dark hair.

6:49When authorities examined Ellen's body, they found other wounds on her chest. which they described as being superficial. They also said there were no obvious defense wounds found on Ellen. Authorities further noted that there was blood found on Ellen's face, right hand, clothes, and boots. They said that the blood around Ellen was generally confined to the area of her body, on the floor underneath, and on the cabinets behind her. There were also two drops of blood found on the granite countertop above her. On the counter, authorities also found a strainer of fruit, along with recently prepared oranges and blueberries.

7:25It looked like Ellen may have been in the middle of preparing some type of fruit salad. They also noticed that the knife block was turned over on its side, and two of the knives from the block were found in the sink, but there was no blood found on the knife block or knives. Now, of course, officers speak to Ellen's fiancé, Sam, since he was the last known person to see Ellen alive, and the person who later found her. They discover that Ellen and Sam had been engaged since the summer of 2010, and had been together for a total of about three years. Ellen and Sam planned on an August 2011 wedding, and had just sent out their save-the-dates weeks prior.

8:03Here's what Sam says happened that day. He says Ellen went to work, but when the snowstorm hit, she was sent home early. They basically just hung out in their apartment until around 4.45pm, when Sam decided to use the apartment complex's gym on the first floor. Sam told officers that he worked out for about 30-45 minutes When he was done, he went back to the apartment But couldn't get in because the front door swing bar was engaged from the inside Now just to pause for clarity One, because this term confused me when I first started researching the case And two, because there's different terms in different regions I just want to clarify that when I say swing bar I mean those small metal locks you install on the inside of your home that allows you to open the door a few inches while not allowing the door to open any further.

8:51You see these in a lot of hotels. So Sam has a key, but obviously he can't get past the inside lock. He says he banged on the door but didn't get an answer. For the next hour, he texted, called, and emailed Ellen, trying to get her to let him inside, but Ellen didn't respond. Authorities did review Ellen's phone and confirmed that Sam had texted her multiple times from 5.32pm to 5.54pm. Sam texted the following, Hello? Open the door. What are you doing? I'm getting pissed. Hello? You better have an excuse. What the fuck? Ah, you have no idea. This episode of Voices for Justice is sponsored by Greenlight.

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12:02Sam said after an hour of not being able to reach Ellen, he went down to the security desk and asked the guard to help him enter the apartment. However, this security guard would later contest this series of events by saying he was not present for this. So, Sam breaks down the door alone. And as soon as he was inside, he found Ellen in the kitchen. Following this initial statement from Sam, authorities looked around the apartment to corroborate his story. According to case documents, the swing bar was, quote, broken, obviously forced in, end quote, which matched what Sam had said about breaking down the door.

12:38They looked for other signs of forced entry, but didn't find any. The only other entrance to the apartment was a rear sliding door leading to a patio, and it was pretty obvious that no one had entered or exited through the patio. Not only was it six stories high, but there was a blanket of snow on the floor of the patio that hadn't been touched. There was no sign of a struggle, and nothing was stolen. Three laptops, Ellen's cell phone, and her expensive heirloom engagement ring were all still in the apartment. Authorities continued searching. They found a paper booklet inside of Ellen's wallet, which, quote, resembled a journal of medications and Ellen's state of mind, end quote.

13:17This journal was last dated January 16th. Officers also found Ellen's medications, Klonopin and Ambien. They did not find a suicide note. Officers briefly canvassed the apartment building, speaking to neighbors, who said that they heard Sam banging on the door, but they didn't report any other disturbances, like an argument. Officers also spoke to Ellen's parents, whom she was very close to. Ellen was the only child of Josh and Sandy Greenberg. When speaking with officers, Sandy said that she last talked to Ellen around 7am that morning while Ellen was on her way to work. Sandy says it was a pleasant conversation, and Ellen gave no indication that something was wrong.

13:57However, Sandy did tell officers that near the end of 2010, Ellen started battling issues with anxiety. She became withdrawn, less independent, and less happy overall. This was a stark contrast between her normally outgoing, upbeat, cheerful, and happy personality. Sandy said that Ellen told her family that she was overwhelmed with her classroom work. Sandy said that she and her husband had encouraged Ellen to see a psychiatrist, and she did. But Ellen's parents made it clear to police that Ellen never attempted suicide, or had suicidal ideations. An officer noted in his report that Ellen's death was a quote, surprise to them despite her issues with anxiety, end quote.

14:39Before the conversation was over, the Greenbergs were asked about Ellen's relationship with Sam. They described him as a fine young man and said that they were happy to have him as an in-law. They said they had no knowledge of any verbal or physical abuse in the relationship. The Greenbergs later provided further detail on Ellen's state of mind at the time of her death. They said Ellen's anxiety seemed to start in the weeks leading up to her and Sam mailing out their save-the-dates for their August wedding. The Greenberg said that Ellen was so stressed out that at one point she texted her parents, quote,

15:15Now, unfortunately, we don't really know what place she was talking about. Shortly after, Ellen asked a cousin who lived in the Philly area if she could temporarily move into the cousin's home. When the cousin asked if Sam would be joining, Ellen didn't respond. Now, it was apparently all of this that led authorities to believe Ellen had completed suicide, and because of this determination, the apartment was not treated as a crime scene. According to case documents, the only items taken for evidence were the booklet found in Ellen's wallet and her meds. On January 27th, officers spoke to Ellen's psychiatrist, and found that Ellen had been to three different sessions between January 12th and 19th, and she had a fourth appointment scheduled for the 27th.

16:02According to case documents, in her sessions, Ellen said that she had been dealing with severe anxiety for around two months. She was also having difficulty with work. Ellen mentioned that she was doing well at her job, but the school district changed some regulations. Ellen said she didn't know if she should quit teaching or work through the stress. Ellen's psychiatrist told police that she specifically asked Ellen about suicidal thoughts, and she denied ever having them. The psychiatrist also asked about Sam, and Ellen had nothing but good things to say about him. She mentioned that they were getting married in August, and said he was wonderful.

16:38The psychiatrist even noted a smile when she spoke of him. The psychiatrist also recalled asking about any verbal and physical abuse at home, which Ellen denied. After meeting with Ellen for the first time, the psychiatrist prescribed Klonopin and Ambien to treat Ellen's anxiety and to help her sleep. At Ellen's second session on January 19th, Ellen told the psychiatrist that the meds seemed to be working. The psychiatrist also noted that Ellen was doing, quote, way better, end quote. Now, while all this was happening, while officers were speaking to Ellen's psychiatrist, Dr. Marlon Osborne with the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office was performing an autopsy on Ellen.

17:20Prior to this exam, Osborne was told that investigators believed Ellen's death was a suicide. But here's what Dr. Osborne discovered. A total of 20 stab wounds, many of which were not superficial like authorities had previously assumed. There were 8 stab wounds to Ellen's chest, including the wound with a 10-inch knife, which was embedded 4 inches into her chest. The other 7 wounds to Ellen's chest ranged from 0.2 centimeters and 1.5 inches deep. Additionally, there was 1 wound to Ellen's abdomen, which was over 2 inches deep. On the back right side of Ellen's scalp, Dr. Osborne found a 2.5-inch long cut.

18:04Ten stab wounds were found on the back of Ellen's neck. The wounds ranged in size, between 0.2 centimeters and 3 inches deep. Dr. Osborne also found a 3-inch wound that went through the back of Ellen's head at the base of her skull. This wound impacted her cerebellum, the part of the brain which coordinates and regulates many functions including balance, movement, and vision. Finding this wound to be of note, Dr. Osborne removed and preserved portions of the cerebellum. Another wound of note was a 2 3⁄4 inch wound that went between Ellen's second and third vertebrae, and down over her spinal cord.

18:44Now, there was no obvious defect to Ellen's spinal cord. This meant Dr. Osborne couldn't determine the extent of the injury, or the effects on Ellen's ability to keep moving. However, he could conclude that the injury would have incapacitated Ellen, due to both the pain and the physiological responses. He also removed and preserved the segment of her spinal column, which included the wound. Additionally, Dr. Osborne found 11 separate bruises on Ellen's wrist, right arm, abdomen, and right leg, and they were all in various stages of healing. Dr. Osborne did not investigate the bruises any further than notating them.

19:25Toxicology testing showed colonopin and trace amounts of Ambien in Ellen's system, which of course we know were both prescribed medications. According to Dr. Osborne's report, the wound to Ellen's spinal cord alone suggested that Ellen had been the victim of a homicide, not a suicide. His official determination was that Ellen had been murdered. This episode of Voices for Justice is sponsored by Chewy. When I think about the holidays, I think about tiny moments with my dogs. The ones that really make the season bright. And that's why I'm joining Chewy Claws, who's out here making pet wishes come true.

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21:54They had to find out from a friend who heard it on a news report. According to court documents, the Philadelphia Police Department, or PPD, immediately pushed back against Dr. Osborne's determination of homicide. They asked him to change his findings to pending while the homicide department investigated Ellen's death. However, Dr. Osborne did not comply with this request. Hours after the PPD learned of Dr. Osborne's determination of homicide, the media reported that the police did not consider Ellen's death a homicide. Instead, they were calling her death suspicious. On January 28th, two days after Ellen was found, homicide detectives went to search Ellen's apartment, but they didn't find any significant forensic evidence.

22:39However, they did collect her engagement ring as evidence. The Enquirer reported that detectives further looked at Sam's key fob records to double-check his story and timeline, and it matched what he told investigators. Detectives also tested the knife and Ellen's clothes for DNA And only Ellen's was found On January 29th, police obtained Ellen's cell phone and work and personal laptops As well as Sam's laptop Ellen's personal laptop was sent to the FBI for analysis That same day, police announced that they were leaning towards suicide And were looking into Ellen's mental health At this point, it was pretty obvious that homicide investigators believed that the investigation pointed towards suicide.

23:25They cited Ellen's anxiety and the apartment being locked from the inside with no sign of a struggle. But Dr. Osborne did not agree. He said Ellen's death was a murder. Because of the discrepancy, they pulled in another expert. This is Dr. Rourke Adams, an independent neuropathologist. They were brought in to examine Ellen's spinal cord to see if the neck injury would have paralyzed her, which would have made it impossible for Ellen to deliver the final wound to her chest. According to Dr. Osborne's report, Dr. Rourke-Adams determined that the spinal cord sheath had been damaged, but the actual cord was intact, leading the neuropathologist to believe that the injury did not incapacitate Ellen.

24:09However, it may have led to Ellen's body going numb, allowing her to painlessly continue stabbing. On January 31st, KYW reported that PPD still had Ellen's death listed as suspicious, and their investigation was leaning in a non-criminal direction. They continued saying this for weeks. Finally, on February 18th, the PPD officially declared that the death of Ellen Greenberg had been ruled a suicide. Detectives said, quote, We couldn't prove anything else. We were just letting things go where it went, and that's where it went, end quote. Weeks later, on March 3rd, the medical examiner's office updated Ellen's death certificate from homicide to suicide.

24:53Now, Dr. Osborne did give a list of reasons why he was willing to change the manner of death, which included the following. Ellen had a history of anxiety. The door was locked from the inside, and Sam had to break the door down. The injury to Ellen's spinal cord would not have incapacitated Ellen, and DNA testing on the knife and Ellen's clothing only matched her DNA. Dr. Osborne noted that an analysis of Ellen's laptop provided no additional information, and just like the first time, the Greenbergs were not informed of this change. They learned about it from the media. Ellen's parents did not believe that she had completed suicide, and they were also frustrated with the medical examiner and police department's handling of Ellen's case.

25:40Desperate for answers, they launched their own half-a-million-dollar investigation into Ellen's death. They request copies of Ellen's autopsy records and photos, as well as crime scene photos and reports from the scene. They also spoke with Ellen's friends. PennLive reported that the Greenbergs found out through a friend that on the day she died, Ellen had planned on leaving her life in Philadelphia and moving back in with her parents. So the Greenbergs send all this evidence they collect to forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht. In January 2012, he concluded that Ellen did not complete suicide.