The Mysterious Case of What Happened to Ellen Greenberg Still Haunts Her Family to This Day

The family of a Philadelphia woman whose death was ruled a suicide, despite being stabbed 20 times, is trying to have her case reopened. Ellen Greenberg died in her apartment on Jan. 26, 2011.

Ellen was reportedly found by her fiancé, Sam Goldberg, but he was never arrested or a considered a suspect by the police department. Her parents, Sandee and Josh Greenberg, believe that she was murdered.

Ellen's parents are fighting to have their daughter's case reopened. On Jan. 26, 2011, Ellen — who was a school teacher — went home early due to Philadelphia's schools closing early because of a Nor'easter. Ellen changed her clothes before grading homework. She also rinsed blueberries to prepare a fruit salad.

Sam went to the couple's apartment building's gym to work out at 4:45 p.m. He later said the door was locked to their apartment, and he couldn't get inside after working out.

He reportedly called and texted Ellen for close to an hour before busting down the door, where he said he found Ellen with a 10-inch knife sticking out of her chest, per People. Ellen also had stab wounds to her spine and neck, as well as a six-inch cut on her head.

Blood was running down the kitchen cabinets, and Sam called 911. He said he noticed the knife after the dispatcher directed him to take Ellen's shirt to give her CPR.

“Oh my God! She stabbed herself,” he exclaimed. “She fell on a knife. I don’t know. Her knife is sticking out.”

An autopsy found that Ellen had been stabbed 20 times in her chest, spine, top of her head, and neck. She also had 11 bruises on her body that were in various healing stages. The assistant medical examiner at the time, Dr. Marlon Osbourne, ruled her death a homicide.

However, four months later, he changed the cause of death to suicide after he met with the Philadelphia Police Department, and the criminal investigation was closed.

Sam was never charged and was never considered a suspect by the Philadelphia Police Department. Ellen's parents sued the City of Philadelphia, former Chief Medical Examiner Sam Gulino, and several others — including city officials who received money after they agreed to reevaluate Ellen’s cause of death. The lawsuits were settled in February 2025, and Dr. Osbourne later signed a statement advising that he no longer thinks Ellen's death was a suicide. "She would never, ever do that," said Sandee.

Sandee and Josh hired a forensic pathologist, Dr. Cyril Wecht, who ruled that Ellen’s wounds were not self-inflicted, and forensic neuropathologist Dr. Wayne Ross found evidence that she was strangled. He also thinks her killing was staged.

A docuseries about her case, Death in Apartment 603: What Happened to Ellen Greenberg? was directed by Nancy Schwartzman in partnership with Lewellen Pictures, Elle and Dakota Fanning’s production company. It will debut on Sept. 29, on Hulu and Hulu Disney+.