The Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office has officially reaffirmed that Ellen Greenberg, the 27-year-old teacher found dead in her apartment with 20 stab wounds in January 2011, died by suicide — a conclusion that reignites one of the city’s most polarising forensic controversies.

The 32-page review, led by Chief Medical Examiner Dr Lindsay Simon, states that Greenberg “was physically capable of inflicting the injuries on herself” and that investigators found no signs of forced entry, struggle, or intruder activity. The report also confirms that no DNA from Greenberg’s fiancé, Sam Goldberg, was found on the knife recovered from the scene.

Dr Simon’s findings mark the culmination of a court-ordered re-examination of the case, part of a 2024 settlement between the Greenberg family and the City of Philadelphia. “The evidence supports the conclusion that Ms Greenberg’s death was self-inflicted,” Simon wrote, adding that physical and psychological factors aligned with suicide rather than homicide.

Fiancé Cleared; Anxiety and Work Stress Cited

According to the report, Ellen Greenberg was under psychiatric treatment for anxiety, which Dr Simon said had intensified in the days before her death. The review attributes her mental strain to professional pressure, citing fears that her submitted grades might expose inconsistencies in previous student evaluations.

Simon wrote that Greenberg “expressed anxiety about her grades to friends, co-workers, and her fiancé in the hours leading up to her death.” She theorised that Greenberg’s anxiety, combined with ongoing medication, may have triggered a “sudden and intense behavioural episode” that resulted in her death.

The report also notes that surveillance footage, keycard data, and gym records corroborate Goldberg’s account that he was not at the apartment when Greenberg died.

Family’s Attorney Condemns “Flawed and Cynical” Report

The Greenberg family swiftly denounced the ruling through their attorney, William Trask, who accused the Medical Examiner’s Office of “bending the science to fit a conclusion.”

In a written statement, Trask said the review “ignores critical inconsistencies,” including unexplained bruising, missing surveillance footage, and a locked door with no signs of forced entry. He also referenced a 3D photogrammetry analysis conducted by independent experts, which purportedly demonstrates that Greenberg could not have inflicted all her wounds herself.

“This is a deeply flawed attempt to justify a predetermined conclusion,” Trask said, adding that Dr Simon’s report “weaponises Ellen’s anxiety to craft a flimsy psychological motive.” He argued that “millions of Americans live with anxiety daily — it does not drive them to stab themselves 20 times.”

Original Pathologist Reverses His Position

The latest ruling is further complicated by recent remarks from Dr Marlon Osbourne, the pathologist who conducted the original 2011 autopsy. In a court filing earlier this year, Dr Osbourne said that Greenberg’s death “should be designated as something other than suicide.”

Dr Osbourne initially ruled Greenberg’s death a homicide, before amending the classification to suicide two weeks later after discussions with investigators. In his new declaration, he wrote, “Since issuing the amended death certificate, I have become aware of additional information… It is my professional opinion that Ellen’s manner of death should be designated as something other than suicide.”

Trask called Osbourne’s admission “the most significant statement yet,” arguing that it undermines the legitimacy of the Medical Examiner’s latest conclusion.

Medical Examiner Defends Review

Dr Simon acknowledged the unusual nature of the injuries, which included stab wounds to the back of Greenberg’s neck and multiple punctures that did not cause internal damage. However, she maintained that forensic analysis demonstrated self-infliction was possible.

The review also documented three additional superficial perforations not recorded in the original autopsy but stated they were “not significant” in the cause of death. Simon further addressed public scepticism, saying the decision was based on “scientific rigour and the totality of the evidence,” not speculation.

“The scene evidence, autopsy findings, and corroborated timeline are consistent with self-inflicted injuries,” she wrote. “There is no credible forensic indication of homicide.”

Fourteen Years of Legal and Public Battles

Ellen Greenberg’s death has long fuelled online speculation, true-crime documentaries, and advocacy efforts from her parents, Joshua and Sandra Greenberg, who have fought for over a decade to have the ruling overturned. Their civil lawsuit against the City of Philadelphia and the Medical Examiner’s Office prompted this independent re-evaluation.

The family maintains that crucial evidence, including photographic inconsistencies and potential contamination at the scene, was overlooked. The renewed classification is likely to reignite calls for state or federal intervention in the case, with legal experts anticipating further appeals.

As of Monday evening, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office has not commented on whether it intends to reopen any aspect of the investigation. For now, the official cause of death remains suicide — a conclusion that, 14 years later, continues to divide medical experts, legal analysts, and the public following the mystery long known as “Death in Apartment 603.”