The pathologist who ruled Ellen Greenberg’s de*ath a homicide before switching his ruling to a su*icide now says he was wrong.
Greenberg, a 27-year-old Philadelphia teacher, was found de*ad with 20 stab wounds to the chest, abdomen, head and the back of her neck in 2011.
Despite authorities ruling that Greenberg’s de*ath was a su*icide after saying only her DNA was found on the knife and her clothing, her parents have maintained the belief that their daughter was murdered.
Now, Marlon Osbourne, formerly of the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office, says in a sworn statement that he should not have ruled Greenberg’s de*ath a su*icide.
“[B]ased on my consideration of the new information brought to my attention after leaving my position as Medical Examiner for the City of Philadelphia, along with my original autopsy findings and information considered while I was actively involved in Ellen’s case,” Osbourne wrote in the reported statement, which is part of a settlement agreement in a lawsuit involving Greenberg’s parents, “it is my professional opinion Ellen’s manner of d*eath should be designated as something other than su*icide.”
Greenberg was found de*ad in 2011 by her fiancé, Sam Goldberg, after he returned to their home in Philadelphia.
Goldberg told police he was unable to get into the apartment because the swing bar lock was in use. He eventually forced his way into the residence, where he discovered Greenberg de*ad with a 10-inch knife in her chest.
Joseph Podraza, Greenberg’s parents’ attorney, previously told that the knife was never fingerprinted and that there were signs of a struggle in the apartment.
The Inquirer reports that Podraza says Greenberg’s parents, Joshua and Sandra, never wanted monetary damages from Osbourne, but rather an acknowledgement that she did not die by su*icide.
“It’s a tremendous statement by Dr. Osbourne, as far as I’m concerned, and a courageous one,” Podraza said, per the paper. “The only thing unfortunate about it is how late in time it came. It should have come earlier, but we are grateful he has done the right thing.”
