Ellen Greenberg case: Major development in family's fight to change manner of death ruling

Sunday, February 2, 2025
New developments in the Ellen Greenberg case
New developments in the Ellen Greenberg case.

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The legal tide appears to be turning for the family of Philadelphia teacher Ellen Greenberg and the decade-plus-long fight to change her manner of death ruling.

Greenberg was 27 years old when she was found dead of more than 20 stab wounds inside her locked Manayunk apartment in 2011.

She was discovered by her fiancé on January 26, 2011, inside the couple's locked at the Venice Lofts on the 4600 block of Flat Rock Road.

Ellen's fiance has never been suspected by authorities of foul play.

The Greenberg family has long sought to get her suicide ruling changed to homicide or undetermined.

There are two civil cases filed by the Greenbergs.

The case accusing the city of emotional distress for allegedly mishandling Ellen's death investigation and covering it up goes to trial next week.

On Saturday, a resolution came with one of the defendants, dropping him from the second civil suit about to go before the Supreme Court. That case was filed to compel the city to change Ellen's ruling from suicide to undetermined or murder.

Dr. Marlon Osborne, who performed the initial autopsy, originally determined her death to be homicide, but after a meeting with police, the ruling was changed to suicide.

In a bombshell court filing Saturday, Dr. Osbourne stated, "It is my professional opinion Ellen's manner of death should be designated as something other than suicide."

Osbourne said the determination was made after new information came to light.

"I am now aware that information exists which draws into question, for example, whether Ellen's fiancé was witnessed entering the apartment before placing the 9-1-1 call on
January 26, 2011; whether the door was forced open as reported; whether Ellen's body was moved by someone else inside the apartment with her at or near the time of her death; and the findings of Lindsey Emery, M.D. from her neuropathological evaluation of Ellen's cervical segment sample," Osbourne wrote in the filing.

The development is a major step forward in the Greenberg family's fight.

Jury selection begins Monday at 9 a.m. in the emotional distress civil case.

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