Not enough evidence to charge in Ellen Greenberg's death: DA – NBC10 Philadelphia

Investigators in Chester County said they are unable to move forward with criminal charges in the 2011 stabbing of a Philadelphia woman, whose death was initially ruled a homicide before the medical examiner upgraded it to suicide after police appealed.

On January 26, 2011, 27-year-old Ellen Greenberg was found dead by her fiancé in the kitchen of their Flat Rock Road apartment in Philadelphia. The first grader suffered 20 stab wounds.

The Philadelphia Police Department and the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office both investigated her death. Police considered her death a suicide because her apartment door was locked from the inside and her boyfriend – who said he found her after breaking down the door – had no defensive wounds.

Philadelphia coroner Marlon Osbourne initially ruled her death a homicide, citing the large number of stab wounds, including 10 in her neck. After police publicly challenged the results, Osbourne changed the verdict to suicide without explanation.

In recent years, Greenberg's parents have tried to have the sentence commuted back to murder. The city has objected, arguing that state law “makes clear that a coroner may err about the manner of death but cannot be compelled to change it.”

In 2018, the investigation was turned over to the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office for review. The investigation was then turned over to Chester County investigators in August 2022 to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.

Chester County detectives initially conducted a review of the investigation by police and the Philadelphia attorney general. They also conducted new interviews and consulted an independent forensic expert.

On Friday, November 8, 2024, the Chester County District Attorney's Office announced that it could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime was committed and the investigation was put on hold.

“This standard of proof – beyond a reasonable doubt – distinguishes the criminal investigation from other legal cases or issues related to Ms. Greenberg’s death,” a spokesman for the Chester County District Attorney’s Office wrote. “Because we cannot meet our burden of proof with the information and evidence currently available, we have placed this investigation on an inactive status.”

The spokesman also noted that there is no statute of limitations for criminal homicide in Pennsylvania and that the case will not be finalized.

Joseph Podraza Jr., the attorney for Greenberg's parents, released a statement in response to the Chester County District Attorney's Office's decision.

“Our belief that Ellen was murdered does not change as a result of the announcement from the Chester County District Attorney’s Office. Admittedly, the investigation conducted by the Chester County District Attorney's Office was extremely limited and limited. The office told us that it had not investigated the key questions we raised that proved Ellen was murdered and that the evidence remained unchallenged. The independent forensic expert they allegedly consulted during the course of the investigation also had a limited background, a bachelor's degree in entomology (the study of insects) and a master's degree in criminal justice, but no medical or any training in the field Specialty in forensic pathology, both of which are necessary to competently assess the evidence uncovered so far in this case.

Notwithstanding these unfortunate limitations and constraints, we appreciate the District Attorney's professional courtesy in speaking with the family and openly acknowledging all of these limitations and constraints. We also note that another highly experienced homicide prosecutor, while with the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office, conducted his own independent review of this case, thoroughly investigated all issues surrounding Ellen's death, and came to the opposite conclusion that Ellen was murdered . “We now look forward to an upcoming trial where a full and open investigation into the core issues surrounding Ellen’s murder can be conducted publicly before an independent judge and a jury of our colleagues.”