Suicide Ruling Held In Ellen Greenberg's Manayunk Death

MANAYUNK, PHILADELPHIA — The mysterious death of Ellen Greenberg in Manayunk more than 14 years ago continues to stun Philadelphia and the former teacher's family, as her death has yet again been ruled suicide after the case was ordered to be reexamined.

Philadelphia Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Lindsey Simon in a new report filed recently stood by the city's ruling in the 27-year-old's stabbing death.

Simon said Greenberg suffered from anxiety due to her role as a first-grade teacher, and cited Greenberg's inflation of grades given to students as the catalyst for her fatal self-inflicted stabbings.

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"She expressed this anxiety about her grades to friends, co-workers, and her fiancé in the hours leading up to her death," the report reads. "While her recent change in medications had helped with the insomnia associated with her anxiety, she did not survive long enough to address the anxiety itself. Thus, she had an increase in energy to act on her anxious thoughts."

Simon's report found additional stab wounds, bringing the total number to 23. These wounds were "limited to her posterior head/neck, right neck, and central front torso," per the report.

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"While the distribution of injuries is admittedly unusual, the fact remains that Ellen would be capable of inflicting these injuries herself," the report reads. "Many of these stab and incised wounds would best be categorized as hesitation wounds. No defensive injuries were identified on her body. There was no evidence to indicate Ellen was incapacitated or incapable of defending herself."

Greenberg was found by her fiancée, Samuel Goldberg, who works in TV for the Saudi Arabian owned LIV golf. His uncle James Schwartzman was a former prosecutor and previously served as President Judge on the Pennsylvania Court of Judicial Discipline.

"The fiancé's DNA was not detected on the knife used to inflict the injuries," Simon's report reads. "His self-reported timeline of events is corroborated by phone logs, text messages, surveillance footage, keycard swipes, and police interviews."

No other DNA was found on the knife, according to the report.

Simon said there was no evidence to indicate Greenberg and Goldberg were in an abusive relationship, and there was no evidence of a third party entering their shared apartment.

However, Action News reports a hearing on the ruling is scheduled for 1 p.m. Tuesday.

The Greenberg family attorney called the report "a deeply flawed attempt to justify a predetermined conclusion."

"Shame on Dr. Simon," attorney William Trask said in a statement to Action News. "This report is an embarrassment to the City and an insult to Ellen and her family. Ellen's family just wanted the truth. It is clear the truth will not come from Philadelphia's law enforcement machinery. Though Ellen's city turned its back on her, we will continue through other avenues to get justice for her murder, by any means necessary."

Sandee and Josh Greenberg, Ellen Greenberg's parents, have been working to uncover the truth of what happened to their daughter for 14 years.

In October 2022, her family filed a suit against the city, alleging it covered up her death and wrongly ruled her death a suicide.

Greenberg's family in 2019 asked for the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office to reopen the case, but District Attorney Larry Krasner sent the case to then Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro's office, According to Action News.

In late 2021, the AG's office was given a 10 gigabyte file by Greenberg's family.

A representative for the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office told Patch in December 2021 that the file was being reviewed and that it was too early to say if it contains new details or new evidence.

However, the case was sent back to Philadelphia.

The Chester County District Attorney's Office later handled the case due to Krasner previously representing the Greenbergs.

However, in November 2024, the Chester County DA's office said the case was "inactive."