Trigger Warning: This blog will involve photos of stab wounds, discussion of possible domestic violence, suicide, and murder. Please read with caution.
Ellen Greenberg was a beautiful 27-year-old elementary school teacher in Philadelphia Pa. First grade to be exact. She was living with her fiancée at the time of her death, Sam Goldberg. Ellen was the only child born to Dr.Josh and Sandee Greenberg. She was very much a daddy's girl ,loved fashion and was very well rounded, according to her parents.
Ellen and Sam met when a friend set them up. They were together for 3 years when they became engaged, and Ellen was ecstatic. They were in California and Sam proposed to her on a beautiful beach on the rocks. She sent the photo out to family and friends with her excitement.
On January 26th, 2011, a blizzard hit the Philly area and Ellen's school was sent home early due to weather conditions. Later in the day, the Philly 911 center would receive a call. It was Sam Goldberg, Ellen's fiancée. It came in around 6:30 pm that evening and Sam stated that he had to bust in the door because the bolt lock had been put on from inside the apartment. He had gone down to the building's gym area and had been gone for about 35-45 mins. He stated that he texted her (texts stated: Hello? Open the door, what are you doing? I am getting pissed, Hello? You better have an excuse !, What the Fuck, and you have no idea." Sounds like he is getting a little angry huh?
When she didn't respond he went down to the front desk to get someone to let him in. That gentleman advised that he was unable to let him in. Now, here is where things get sticky. Sam claims that the security guard/ front desk person came back up to the apartment with him. That very same gentleman stated to police in his interview that he never came back up with Sam. And here starts the strange events surrounding what happened to Ellen.
When Sam got in the door, he saw Ellen slumped down in the kitchen floor in a corner. There was blood surrounding her and he called 911. During the 911 call, Sam stated he needed help because he walked in, and his fiancée is on the floor covered in blood. He is able to give the address and repeat it. He was very calm in the beginning. Wonder why he needed to tell the operator that " he just walked through"? Hmm. When asked where she is bleeding from, Sam states" I don't know, I can't tell." The operator says, "You can't tell where she is bleeding from?" He is then asked if she is breathing. He says he doesn't know and the operator tells him to look at her chest. Is it rising? He says he doesn't think it is. He stated nothing is broken......WHAT? How the hell would he know? He stated to the operator that her face is purple and he think she may have slipped and stabbed herself. He speculated the entire call. Go and listen to it if you have time. He is stuttering, terribly. I understand shock but I feel like it was more him trying not to lie. He makes sure that he states where he was. He just discovered her. Did he though? He says she is not responding but never mentions what she is not responding to. The operator asks him if she is on her back. He says yes, but she was not. And I must mention that he never laid her on her back. She was found in the sitting position. The operator asks him if he knows how to do CPR? He states no and she tells him that she is going to give him instructions on how to do it. He says Oh God. What kind of answer is that? Also, it gets worse. When she asks if he is ready he says " Well, I have to, right?" RED FLAG. Then he states that Ellen fell on a knife and a knife is sticking out of her heart. He said her shirt would not unzip. He has theories that either she stabbed herself or she fell on the knife. To be non-medical, he sure as hell thinks he knows a lot. You can feel his stress level in this call, which tells me that he is not panicking due to the situation but panicking about what words to say and how to say them.
The police determined when they got there this must have been a suicide. Ellen had no defensive wounds, there was no sign of a struggle, and you can only lock that lock from inside the apartment. Pretty premature if you ask me but what do I know? Let me mention that Sam's family was the one to contact her parents. They came up the next morning from Harrisonburg due to the blizzard. They were unable to get to Ellen or the scene the day before when it happened. Her parents were LIVID. Her mom stated to police that Ellen was having a small bit of anxiety due to wedding planning and her job. She even talked about coming back home but her mom told her it would be a good idea to start seeing a psychiatrist. Even telling that to police, Ellen's parents say she was in a good state of mind and had no suicidal thoughts or ideations.
The day after Ellen died, her autopsy was completed. I have printed and read the autopsy and I am telling you now, there is no way in hell that Ellen Rae Greenberg killed herself. The first thing noted in the autopsy was 10 stab wounds to the back of her head and neck. 19 stab wounds in all and a large cut in her head. She also had multiple bruises that were in different stages of the healing process. So I assume that she beat up on herself for days, stabbed herself in the back of her head and neck, and then stabbed herself in the chest. FUCKING REALLY? People BELIEVED this? Or was the anxiety she was experiencing coming from a domestic violence situation? It looks like and sounds like one to me. The biggest thing was the knife still being in her chest. There would have to have been a lot of force to inflict that wound. Her autopsy at the time was deemed (correctly) as a HOMICIDE. NOT A SUICIDE!
In the moments before Ellen's funeral, Josh and Sandee found out that Ellen had been murdered. Her father stood before the mourning family and friends and told everyone that Ellen was killed. She didn't take her own life. It shocked everyone. None of this was making sense.
Now let me go back to the day of the murder. Sam's family went through the apartment and took all of Ellen's items. Her purse, her cell phone, her computer. Um, why were they allowed to take any of her items? Detectives went back to the crime scene after the homicide ruling, alas, there was no scene. Ellen's parents were not being told anything.
So, the police two days later come out in the press and state that the medical examiner had jumped the gun and they do not believe that Ellen was murdered and that there was no evidence to support that fact. The police didn't like that they were made to look stupid, which apparently, they were. They went back and looked at Ellen's emotional state at the time of her death. They used the anxiety she had but we all have anxiety. Ellen stated she was stressed out about work, getting her grades in on time, and the wedding planning. Her father stated that she was not herself. Ellen was prescribed Ambien and Klonopin. One to help with sleep and one for anxiety. She had seen her new psychiatrist 3 times before her death. Even her psychiatrist stated that Ellen was doing better and that Ellen had no suicidal thoughts at all.
A portion of Ellen's spinal cord was sent to an outside source to see if the stab wound to the back of her neck had severed the spinal cord. It was determined that the wound had not and that she could have continued to stab herself. All that believe that she stabbed herself that many times raise your hands. I'll wait. It's bullshit and even more bullshit, three months into the investigation the corner changed the manner of death to SUICIDE! REALLY??? Police must have paid well for that. 20 self inflicted wounds, front and back....are you kidding?
No one reached out to Ellen's parents to discuss this, to get their opinion. So the Greenberg's got the records and they hired an expert to review all the crime scene photos and all the facts. The police didn't even want to meet with them. They didn't care. So Ellen's parents hired a former detective to help them. He determined that she was involved in a blitz attack. Tom Brennan, the detective, stated that no one would be filling their gas tank and then come home to start making fruit salad just to start stabbing themselves to death. It was also notated by Detective Brennan that the scene looked cleaned up and staged. She had blood running from her ear to her nose, no dripping, The body was moved. And then get this, the police didn't even do a luminol test. Which is a chemical you can spray that will bring out traces of blood that have been "cleaned up". The police did NOTHING! The police did not have the authority to determine a method of death on their own. But the Philly police did!!
Was it feasible for Ellen to have stabbed herself 20 times? To me, no. Especially with her being a female. Female suicides are consistent with taking pills, shooting themselves, slashing wrists. NOT stabbing yourself consistently. Say what you will.
This brings us to present day. Ellen's case is still ruled as a suicide. Fox news released an article just 6 days ago that the Mayor of Philly is being pushed to reopen this case. The Greenberg's have a petition with 150k names on it (one being mine) and they want justice. Ellen's mother wants her daughter's name cleared. She knows her daughter didn't kill herself. Her mother and father want to know what happened. The Greenberg's requested their daughter's case file and they were turned down. They were allowed to review the records but not allowed to have copies, have anyone with them, call anyone. Suspicious?? YES!
Please visit the Justice for Ellen Facebook page and show your support. SIGN THE PETITION. Read the blogs, listen to the podcasts, and watch the YouTube videos.
This to me was a case of domestic violence. No doubt. Sam obviously had her afraid and anxious. She had obvious old wounds. I think she was a battered woman who was too scared to tell. Please remember Ellen with her big, beautiful smile and continue to say her name and spread the awareness of her case.
Sources:
Accident, Suicide, or Murder-Episode 1, Season 2. "Behind the locked door"
Wikipedia-Ellen Rae Greenburg
Justin For Ellen FB page.
Crime Junkie Podcast.
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