Chapters
Shownotes Transcript
What's something that works so well that it's basically magic? It's summertime, so how about air conditioning? Noise-canceling headphones? Meeting-free Fridays? Well, what about selling with Shopify?
Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. From the "launch your online shop" stage, to the first "real life store" stage, all the way to the "did we just hit a million orders" stage, Shopify is there to help you grow. Whether you're selling trained detective t-shirts or advocacy gear, Shopify helps you sell everywhere.
From their all-in-one e-commerce platform to their in-person POS system, wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered.
What I love about Shopify is no matter how big you grow, Shopify grows with you. And they give you everything you need to take your business to the next level. Sign up for a $1 per month trial at shopify.com slash justice, all lowercase. Go to shopify.com slash justice now to grow your business no matter what stage you're in. Shopify.com slash justice.
This is Jessica Knoll, host of the new series Back in Crime. If you're a follower of true crime, you're probably familiar with some of the most shocking stories from our history. Horrific tragedies like the Columbine Massacre. He turned the gun straight at us and shot. Oh my God, the window went out. And the kid standing there with me, I think he got hit. Okay. Oh God. And notorious criminals like cult leader Charles Manson.
In a scene described by one investigator as reminiscent of a weird religious rite, five persons, including actress Sharon Tate, were found dead at the home of Miss Tate and her husband, screen director Roman Poliansky. But what if we were to turn back the hands of time and relive these events as they unfolded? Follow along each week as we take a fresh look at crimes from the past. Back in Crime is available now.
A note before we begin. Today's episode heavily discusses the topic of suicide. If you find that the discussion becomes overwhelming or triggers negative emotions, please prioritize your mental health above all else. Consider skipping this episode or reaching out to a support helpline in your area. You are not alone. Voices for Justice is a podcast that uses adult language and discusses sensitive and potentially triggering topics, including violence, abuse, and murder.
This podcast may not be appropriate for younger audiences. All parties are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Some names have been changed or omitted per their request or for safety purposes. Listener discretion is advised. My name is Sarah Turney and this is Voices for Justice.
Today, I'm discussing the suspicious death of Ellen Greenberg. On January 26, 2011, 27-year-old Ellen Greenberg left her job as a schoolteacher early due to a snowstorm that completely blanketed the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area. On her way home, she stopped and filled up her gas tank. From here, Ellen headed to her apartment that she shared with her fiancé, Sam Goldberg.
They were set to get married in August and had just sent out their save-the-dates a few weeks earlier. A few hours after Ellen arrives home, just after 6.30pm, Sam called 911 and reported that he had to break down the door to his and Ellen's apartment because it had been locked from the inside. When he got inside, he found Ellen in the kitchen with a knife sticking out of her chest.
When officers arrived, they found multiple stab wounds on Ellen's chest. Deciding that these wounds were superficial, police quickly determined that Ellen's death was a suicide. The next day, an autopsy uncovered 20 stab wounds to Ellen's chest, stomach, back of her neck, and back of her head. The medical examiner ruled Ellen's death a murder. Despite these findings, the police declared Ellen's death a suicide and closed her case.
Since then, for over a decade, Ellen's parents and a large group of experts have worked to uncover a lot of evidence that suggests Ellen was murdered. Ellen's mother, Sandy, told Dateline, "...my daughter did not commit suicide. We've grieved her life for years. Now we want to clear her name. We want justice for her, and we want closure." This is the case of Ellen Greenberg.
At 6.33 p.m. on January 26, 2011, Sam Goldberg called 911 from the apartment he shared with his fiancée, Ellen Greenberg, in Philadelphia. Sam reported that he had just broken down the door and found Ellen on her back with blood everywhere. The dispatcher instructed Sam to remove Ellen's sweatshirt and start CPR, but Sam said he couldn't because there was a 10-inch knife sticking out of Ellen's heart.
Sam spoke to the dispatcher for a little bit longer, basically confirming that help was on the way, and the dispatcher had the correct address. Then the call ended. After this, Sam called his parents to let them know what was going on. When they got off the phone, Sam's parents notified Ellen's parents of the news. But they couldn't travel to Ellen's apartment because there had been a huge snowstorm in Philadelphia that day, which I can't even begin to imagine how helpless they must have felt.
But, according to case documents, when first responders arrived, they pronounced 27-year-old Ellen dead. Now, let me take a moment to describe the scene, because it will be really important to keep in mind as I discuss statements from experts in this case.
When first responders got to the scene, Ellen was found in the corner of the kitchen, between the sink and the stove. Now this is what I would consider a typical layout for a kitchen in an apartment. Basically, it was two sets of countertops parallel to each other with no island in between.
Ellen's shoulders were resting against the lower half of the kitchen cabinets. She was slumped downward, resting on her bottom and lower back. Her legs were extended outward, and her arms were parallel to her upper body. There was a 10-inch serrated cut-co knife embedded in the left side of her chest through her clothing. Authorities believe this knife came from the knife block in the apartment.
When Philadelphia police officers and an investigator from the medical examiner's office arrived, they noted that Ellen's right hand was, quote, "...closed in a loose fist," end quote.
In her left hand, there was a quote, nearly pristine, end quote, white hand towel. Ellen's glasses were on the floor to the right of her. And in between her lower leg area was a quote, collection of dark-colored longer hairs, end quote. Which I think it's important to note that Ellen did have longer, dark hair. When authorities examined Ellen's body, they found other wounds on her chest, which...
which they described as being superficial. They also said there were no obvious defense wounds found on Ellen. Authorities further noted that there was blood found on Ellen's face, right hand, clothes, and boots. They said that the blood around Ellen was generally confined to the area of her body, on the floor underneath, and on the cabinets behind her.
There were also two drops of blood found on the granite countertop above her. On the counter, authorities also found a strainer of fruit, along with recently prepared oranges and blueberries. It looked like Ellen may have been in the middle of preparing some type of fruit salad. They also noticed that the knife block was turned over on its side, and two of the knives from the block were found in the sink. But there was no blood found on the knife block or knives.
Now, of course, officers speak to Ellen's fiancé Sam, since he was the last known person to see Ellen alive, and the person who later found her. They discover that Ellen and Sam had been engaged since the summer of 2010, and had been together for a total of about three years. Ellen and Sam planned on an August 2011 wedding, and had just sent out their save-the-date weeks prior.
Here's what Sam says happened that day. He says Ellen went to work, but when the snowstorm hit, she was sent home early. They basically just hung out in their apartment until around 4.45pm, when Sam decided to use the apartment complex's gym on the first floor. Sam told officers that he worked out for about 30-45 minutes. When he was done, he went back to the apartment, but couldn't get in because the front door's swing bar was engaged from the inside.
Now, just to pause for clarity, one, because this term confused me when I first started researching the case, and two, because there's different terms in different regions, I just want to clarify that when I say "swing bar," I mean those small metal locks you install on the inside of your home that allows you to open the door a few inches while not allowing the door to open any further. You see these in a lot of hotels.
So, Sam has a key, but obviously he can't get past the inside lock. He says he banged on the door but didn't get an answer. For the next hour, he texted, called, and emailed Ellen, trying to get her to let him inside. But Ellen didn't respond. Authorities did review Ellen's phone and confirmed that Sam had texted her multiple times from 5.32pm to 5.54pm. Sam texted the following, Hello.
Open the door. What are you doing? I'm getting pissed. Hello? You better have an excuse. What the fuck? Ah, you have no idea.
This episode of Voices for Justice is sponsored by CB Distillery. If you're anything like me, my medicine cabinet was filled with things that just didn't help me. I still couldn't sleep, I was still in pain, and I was still stressed out. So I gave CB Distillery a try, and it has been a real change. And in two non-clinical surveys, 81% of customers experienced more calm.
and 90% said that they slept better with CBD. And I'm a part of that 90%. I've had trouble sleeping for most of my life, and after trying every tea, every pill that I could get my hands on, CBD distilleries' deep sleep gummies have actually worked for me. It not only helps me fall asleep, but it helps me stay asleep, which has been my big problem in the past.
So if you struggle with a health concern and haven't found relief, make the change like I did to CB Distillery. And with over 2 million customers and a solid 100% money-back guarantee, CB Distillery is the source to trust. I have a 20% discount to get you started. Visit cbdistillery.com and use code JUSTICE for 20% off. That's cbdistillery.com, code JUSTICE. cbdistillery.com
This episode of Voices for Justice is sponsored by Quince. I can't believe that we are rolling into fall, but we are, which means it's time to refresh your wardrobe. And luckily, Quince offers timeless and high-quality pieces that will not blow your budget.
Like cashmere sweaters from $50, pants for every occasion, washable silk tops, and more. All Quince items are priced 50-80% less than similar brands. And they do that by partnering directly with top factories. That way, they cut out the cost of the middleman and pass those savings on to us. At this point, I've tried a little bit of everything from Quince.
and I'm still in love with their Tencel jersey fit and flare dresses. Especially in Arizona, it's really easy to dress them up or dress them down and add some layers if it gets colder.
Make switching seasons a breeze with Quince's high-quality closet essentials. Go to quince.com slash justice for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. That's q-u-i-n-c-e dot com slash justice to get free shipping and 365-day returns. quince.com slash justice
Sam said after an hour of not being able to reach Ellen, he went down to the security desk and asked the guard to help him enter the apartment. However, the security guard would later contest this series of events by saying he was not present for this. So, Sam breaks down the door alone. And as soon as he was inside, he found Ellen in the kitchen.
Following this initial statement from Sam, authorities looked around the apartment to corroborate his story. According to case documents, the swing bar was, quote, broken, obviously forced in, end quote.
which matched what Sam had said about breaking down the door. They looked for other signs of forced entry, but didn't find any. The only other entrance to the apartment was a rear sliding door leading to a patio, and it was pretty obvious that no one had entered or exited through the patio. Not only was it six stories high, but there was a blanket of snow on the floor of the patio that hadn't been touched.
There was no sign of a struggle, and nothing was stolen. Three laptops, Ellen's cell phone, and her expensive heirloom engagement ring were all still in the apartment. Authorities continued searching. They found a paper booklet inside of Ellen's wallet, which, quote, resembled a journal of medications and Ellen's state of mind, end quote.
This journal was last dated January 16th. Officers also found Ellen's medications, Klonopin and Ambien. They did not find a suicide note. Officers briefly canvassed the apartment building, speaking to neighbors, who said that they heard Sam banging on the door, but they didn't report any other disturbances, like an argument. Officers also spoke to Ellen's parents, whom she was very close to. Ellen was the only child of Josh and Sandy Greenberg.
When speaking with officers, Sandy said that she last talked to Ellen around 7am that morning while Ellen was on her way to work. Sandy says it was a pleasant conversation, and Ellen gave no indication that something was wrong. However, Sandy did tell officers that near the end of 2010, Ellen started battling issues with anxiety. She became withdrawn, less independent, and less happy overall.
This was a stark contrast between her normally outgoing, upbeat, cheerful, and happy personality. Sandy said that Ellen told her family that she was overwhelmed with her classroom work. Sandy said that she and her husband had encouraged Ellen to see a psychiatrist, and she did. But Ellen's parents made it clear to police that Ellen never attempted suicide.
or had suicidal ideations. An officer noted in his report that Ellen's death was a, quote, "...surprise to them despite her issues with anxiety," end quote. Before the conversation was over, the Greenbergs were asked about Ellen's relationship with Sam. They described him as a fine young man, and said that they were happy to have him as an in-law. They said they had no knowledge of any verbal or physical abuse in the relationship.
The Greenbergs later provided further detail on Ellen's state of mind at the time of her death. They said Ellen's anxiety seemed to start in the weeks leading up to her and Sam mailing out their save-the-dates for their August wedding. The Greenbergs said that Ellen was so stressed out that at one point she texted her parents, "...I want to leave this place. Get me out." Now, unfortunately, we don't really know what place she was talking about.
Shortly after, Ellen asked a cousin who lived in the Philly area if she could temporarily move into the cousin's home. When the cousin asked if Sam would be joining, Ellen didn't respond. Now, it was apparently all of this that led authorities to believe Ellen had completed suicide. And because of this determination, the apartment was not treated as a crime scene. According to case documents, the only items taken for evidence were the booklet found in Ellen's wallet and her meds.
On January 27th, officers spoke to Ellen's psychiatrist and found that Ellen had been to three different sessions between January 12th and 19th, and she had a fourth appointment scheduled for the 27th. According to case documents, in her sessions, Ellen said that she had been dealing with severe anxiety for around two months. She was also having difficulty with work.
Ellen mentioned that she was doing well at her job, but the school district changed some regulations. Ellen said she didn't know if she should quit teaching or work through the stress. Ellen's psychiatrist told police that she specifically asked Ellen about suicidal thoughts, and she denied ever having them. The psychiatrist also asked about Sam, and Ellen had nothing but good things to say about him. She mentioned that they were getting married in August, and said he was wonderful.
The psychiatrist even noted a smile when she spoke of him. The psychiatrist also recalled asking about any verbal and physical abuse at home, which Ellen denied. After meeting with Ellen for the first time, the psychiatrist prescribed Klonopin and Ambien to treat Ellen's anxiety and to help her sleep.
At Ellen's second session on January 19th, Ellen told the psychiatrist that the meds seemed to be working. The psychiatrist also noted that Ellen was doing, quote, way better, end quote. Now, while all this was happening, while officers were speaking to Ellen's psychiatrist, Dr. Marlon Osborne with the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office was performing an autopsy on Ellen. Prior to this exam, Osborne was told that investigators believed Ellen's death was a suicide.
But here's what Dr. Osborne discovered. A total of 20 stab wounds, many of which were not superficial like authorities had previously assumed. There were 8 stab wounds to Ellen's chest, including the wound with the 10-inch knife, which was embedded 4 inches into her chest. The other 7 wounds to Ellen's chest ranged from 0.2 centimeters and 1.5 inches deep.
Additionally, there was one wound to Ellen's abdomen, which was over 2 inches deep. On the back right side of Ellen's scalp, Dr. Osborne found a 2.5-inch long cut. Ten stab wounds were found on the back of Ellen's neck. The wounds ranged in size, between 0.2 centimeters and 3 inches deep. Dr. Osborne also found a 3-inch wound that went through the back of Ellen's head at the base of her skull.
This wound impacted her cerebellum, the part of the brain which coordinates and regulates many functions including balance, movement, and vision.
Finding this wound to be of note, Dr. Osborne removed and preserved portions of the cerebellum. Another wound of note was a 2 3/4 inch wound that went between Ellen's second and third vertebrae, and down over her spinal cord. Now, there was no obvious defect to Ellen's spinal cord. This meant Dr. Osborne couldn't determine the extent of the injury, or the effects on Ellen's ability to keep moving.
However, he could conclude that the injury would have incapacitated Ellen, due to both the pain and the physiological responses. He also removed and preserved the segment of her spinal column, which included the wound.
Additionally, Dr. Osborne found 11 separate bruises on Ellen's wrist, right arm, abdomen, and right leg, and they were all in various stages of healing. Dr. Osborne did not investigate the bruises any further than notating them. Toxicology testing showed Klonopin and trace amounts of Ambien in Ellen's system, which of course we know were both prescribed medications.
According to Dr. Osborne's report, the wound to Ellen's spinal cord alone suggested that Ellen had been the victim of a homicide, not a suicide. His official determination was that Ellen had been murdered.
This episode of Voices for Justice is sponsored by June's Journey. June's Journey is a hidden object mystery game, and you step into the role of June Parker and search for hidden clues to uncover the mystery of her sister's murder. Basically, you engage your observation skills to quickly uncover key pieces of information that lead to chapters of mystery, danger, and romance.
Throughout your investigation, you also customize your very own luxurious estate island. You collect scraps of information to fill your photo album and learn more about each character. But my favorite part is chatting and playing with or against other players by joining a detective club and putting my skills to the test in a detective league.
So, there's kind of two times that I find myself playing June's Journey. One is kind of throughout the day when I just need like a little decompression break, I play a few scenes and get back to work. Or more often than not, when I'm laying down for the night, I tend to play then too. For me, it's a nice way to unwind, decompress, and get lost in a mystery. Discover your inner detective when you download June's Journey for free today on iOS and Android.
This episode of Voices for Justice is sponsored by Ibotta. Are you planning your dream vacation but dreading the cost? With
With Ibotta, you get cash back on all your purchases, so you can spend more time making memories and less time dreaming about them. Ibotta is a free app that lets you earn cash back every time you shop. You can earn on hundreds of items you buy every day, from groceries to beauty supplies and even toys. The average Ibotta user earns $256 per year.
That's a plane ticket, a shopping trip, or even a fancy dinner. And they have so many brands, over 2,400. Lowe's, Macy's, Sephora, Best Buy, and more. I've been using Ibotta for a really long time. It's one way that I make every penny stretch. And right now, Ibotta is offering our listeners $5 just for trying Ibotta by using the code CRIME when you register.
Just go to the App Store or Google Play Store and download the free Ibotta app to start earning cash back and use code CRIME. That's I-B-O-T-T-A in the Google Play Store or App Store. And use code CRIME.
After the autopsy, the medical examiner's office publicly announced that they believed Ellen's death was a homicide, not a suicide. Now, unfortunately, Ellen's parents weren't told about the change in Ellen's manner of death. They had to find out from a friend who heard it on a news report.
According to court documents, the Philadelphia Police Department, or PPD, immediately pushed back against Dr. Osborne's determination of homicide. They asked him to change his findings to pending while the Homicide Department investigated Ellen's death. However, Dr. Osborne did not comply with this request.
Hours after the PPD learned of Dr. Osborne's determination of homicide, the media reported that the police did not consider Ellen's death a homicide. Instead, they were calling her death suspicious. On January 28th, two days after Ellen was found, homicide detectives went to search Ellen's apartment, but they didn't find any significant forensic evidence. However, they did collect her engagement ring as evidence.
The Enquirer reported that detectives further looked at Sam's key fob records to double-check his story and timeline, and it matched what he told investigators. Detectives also tested the knife and Ellen's clothes for DNA, and only Ellen's was found. On January 29th, police obtained Ellen's cell phone and work and personal laptops, as well as Sam's laptop. Ellen's personal laptop was sent to the FBI for analysis.
That same day, police announced that they were leaning towards suicide and were looking into Ellen's mental health. At this point, it was pretty obvious that homicide investigators believed that the investigation pointed towards suicide. They cited Ellen's anxiety and the apartment being locked from the inside with no sign of a struggle.
But Dr. Osborne did not agree. He said Ellen's death was a murder. Because of the discrepancy, they pulled in another expert. This is Dr. Rourke Adams, an independent neuropathologist. They were brought in to examine Ellen's spinal cord to see if the neck injury would have paralyzed her, which would have made it impossible for Ellen to deliver the final wound to her chest.
According to Dr. Osborne's report, Dr. Rourke-Adams determined that the spinal cord sheath had been damaged, but the actual cord was intact, leading the neuropathologist to believe that the injury did not incapacitate Ellen. However, it may have led to Ellen's body going numb, allowing her to painlessly continue stabbing.
On January 31st, KYW reported that PPD still had Ellen's death listed as suspicious, and their investigation was leaning in a non-criminal direction. They continued saying this for weeks. Finally, on February 18th, the PPD officially declared that the death of Ellen Greenberg had been ruled a suicide. Detectives said, "...we couldn't prove anything else. We were just letting things go where it went, and that's where it went."
Weeks later, on March 3rd, the medical examiner's office updated Ellen's death certificate from homicide to suicide. Now, Dr. Osborne did give a list of reasons why he was willing to change the manner of death, which included the following. Ellen had a history of anxiety. The door was locked from the inside, and Sam had to break the door down. The injury to Ellen's spinal cord would not have incapacitated Ellen.
and DNA testing on the knife and Ellen's clothing only matched her DNA. Dr. Osborne noted that an analysis of Ellen's laptop provided no additional information. And just like the first time, the Greenbergs were not informed of this change. They learned about it from the media.
Ellen's parents did not believe that she had completed suicide, and they were also frustrated with the medical examiner and police department's handling of Ellen's case. Desperate for answers, they launched their own half-a-million-dollar investigation into Ellen's death.
They request copies of Ellen's autopsy records and photos, as well as crime scene photos and reports from the scene. They also spoke with Ellen's friends. PennLive reported that the Greenbergs found out through a friend that on the day she died, Ellen had planned on leaving her life in Philadelphia and moving back in with her parents.
So the Greenbergs send all this evidence they collect to forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht. In January 2012, he concluded that Ellen did not complete suicide.
Dr. Wett's report noted that suicidal stab wounds, quote, can rarely be multiple, end quote, and that suicides by stabbing are becoming less frequent due to other options such as drugs or guns. Dr. Wett added, if stabbing is involved in a suicide, it's unlikely to be to the back of the neck, stating that's more in line with a murder.
Dr. Wecht also noted that those who complete suicide rarely stab themselves through their clothing. He said they typically lift their clothes to expose the skin. Stabbing through the clothes was another sign of homicide.
He went on to state other reasons why Ellen's death was likely not a suicide. He said most of the time, those who complete suicide leave a note, but in Ellen's case, there was none. Beyond that, Ellen's family, friends, professional associates, and the psychiatrist who had evaluated her all said she never told them about having any suicidal ideations. There was no indication that she had the intention to complete suicide.
Ora was depressed during the day that she was found. She seemed like her usual self in the morning when she had that phone call with her mom, and later at midday when she texted a friend. Also, when she left work early, she stopped and filled up her gas tank. Dr. Weck's final conclusion was that Ellen's death was, quote, "...strongly suspicious of homicide," end quote.
Following the report, the Greenbergs hired Larry Krasner, a civil rights lawyer with experience with, quote, taking on the police, end quote. After looking over everything, he concluded that, quote, substantial questions remain unanswered, end quote. In May 2012, Krasner requested a meeting with police officials and district attorney representatives to try and get the investigation reopened, but he was unsuccessful.
The Greenbergs hired another attorney, former State Attorney General Walter Cohen. Cohen filed public records requests to obtain the police notes, but this was declined. Cohen kept asking to see the notes, and the Greenbergs were eventually allowed to view them, but no copies were allowed to be made. And there are a lot of experts in this case, so try to keep up. Next.
Next, Tom Brennan joined the Greenbergs in their quest for answers. Brennan had worked for the police for 25 years and was chief of the Dauphin County Detectives. When looking over the crime scene photos, Brennan saw something. He noted that Ellen had a trickle of blood on her left cheek running horizontal from the side of her nose to her left ear. Now, to him, this trickle of blood didn't make sense with the position Ellen's body was found in.
which was sitting and slumped. Basically, he said that this blood defied gravity.
Brennan further investigated the possibility that the swing bar on the front door could have been locked from the outside. He found videos online showing exactly how to do that, which meant that there was a possibility Ellen hadn't been the person to lock the door. After studying all the evidence he had, Brennan concluded that the lack of defensive wounds didn't rule out a homicide. He said it seemed more in line with a blitz attack.
where the victim is attacked so quickly that they don't have time to react and defend themselves. He said he'd seen similar cases in his career. Now, Penlab reported that Brennan did set up a conference call with Dr. Marlon Osborne and his boss, then-Philadelphia medical examiner Dr. Samuel Galino.
During the call, Brennan asked why Dr. Osborne had changed his manner of death ruling to suicide. Dr. Osborne replied, quote, I changed it at the insistence of the police, because they said there was a lack of defensive wounds, end quote. When Brennan asked why police were making a call in a medical determination, Dr. Osborne didn't answer, and the call ended shortly after.
Gregory MacDonald, the chief deputy coroner for Montgomery County, also reviewed the evidence. He came up with many of the same conclusions as the experts before him. He additionally concluded that four of Ellen's wounds were deep enough to require force. MacDonald determined that these four deep wounds, coupled with the gash on the back of Ellen's head, indicated homicide. And here comes another expert.
Robert D. Keppel, retired chief criminal investigator for the Washington State Attorney General's Office, looked over the evidence and commented on the knife found in Ellen's body. He said that wasn't usual in a suicide. In the end, he concluded, "...in this particular case, there's so many different wounds, it almost looks like somebody else is doing their thing with her."
And here comes another expert. In 2015, homicide investigator turned private investigator Guy D'Andrea took on the case. He came to many of the same conclusions as the other experts before him, but he also realized that a major piece of evidence was missing from the case files, the neuropathology report on Ellen's spinal cord.
If you recall, Dr. Osborne's autopsy report stated that Dr. Rourke Adams had examined Ellen's spinal cord and determined that Ellen wasn't incapacitated after the wound to her spinal cord.
which meant she would have still been able to stab herself. D'Andrea searched everywhere for Dr. Rourke Adams' report, but couldn't find it, so he requested a copy from the police and the medical examiner's office. D'Andrea was told that they couldn't find it, or it didn't exist, and there was no invoice for the service.
Dr. Rourke-Adams later told the inquirer that she had no recollection of working on Ellen's case. She said that the lack of any invoice or report on her findings confirmed that she had no involvement.
Now, this is important because the Greenbergs' attorney believes that Dr. Rourke-Adams' involvement, or lack thereof, is crucial to their case as the neuropathologist's conclusion was a necessary element in Dr. Osborne's ultimate suicide finding. When D'Andrea was done investigating Ellen's case, he concluded that, quote,
End quote.
In 2020, in a small California mountain town, five women disappeared. I found out what happened to all of them, except one. A woman known as Dia, whose estate is worth millions of dollars. I'm Lucy Sheriff. Over the past four years, I've spoken with Dia's family and friends, and I've discovered that everyone has a different version of events.
Hear the story on Where's Dear. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Basically right now, there's just a big battle of the experts. And the Greenbergs continued hiring experts, who kept coming to the same conclusion as most of the experts before them. Ellen had more than likely been murdered.
In January 2017, Dr. Wayne Ross, who specializes in forensic and neuropathology, looked over the evidence. He concluded that the wound to Ellen's cranial cavity severed the cranial nerves and brain. As a result, she would have experienced severe pain, cranial nerve dysfunction, and traumatic brain signs and symptoms including numbness, tingling, irregular heartbeat, retinopathy,
respiratory depression, neurogenic shock, and impaired-slash-loss of consciousness. And Dr. Ross found something else, something huge. He found evidence of strangulation. There was a mark on the front of Ellen's neck, which was consistent with a fingernail mark. This was in addition to the multiple bruises under her neck and in the strap muscles over the right side of her neck.
Ellen's autopsy photos also showed evidence of a hemorrhage on the inside of her throat. Dr. Ross said that these patterns were compatible with manual strangulation. Dr. Ross also discussed the multiple bruises found on Ellen, some of which were fresh, many of which were older. He said the bruises were consistent with a repeated beating.
According to the Greenberg's attorney, Dr. Ross further concluded that there was a strong chance that two knives, one serrated, one smooth-bladed, were used in Ellen's death, although the only knife recovered at the scene was of the serrated variety and found embedded four inches in Ellen's chest.
Insert yet another expert. In April 2017, Detective Scott Eelman, who specializes in crime scene reconstruction and evidence processing and management, looked over Ellen's case. He did not come to a conclusion on if Ellen was murdered or if she completed suicide.
However, like the experts before him, Eelman thought the blood on Ellen's face defied gravity, leading him to believe Ellen was not in the position she was found for part of the stabbings. Eelman further stated that the bloodstain found on the floor between Ellen's right hand and the eyeglasses was of particular interest. He said the bloodstain had a hard edge, indicating that there was either an intervening object preventing the flow of blood, or that the bloodstain was somehow altered.
Eelman said, "...although it is difficult to discern given the photographs presented, there is an area of pinkish discoloration noted to the lower edge of the bloodstain, which may indicate some form of attempt to clean up, or other altercation of the bloodstain. There is also a significant pattern noted within the bloodstain itself, which may be consistent with the footwear pattern or something else."
Eelman also noted that the swing bar on the front door didn't look like it had been kicked in. He said there was damage to the door side of the security latch which was still attached to the door, and the screws were still present in the screw hole. The door jam side of the security latch did not appear to show any damage. Furthermore, the floor underneath the door area did not show any evidence of debris from the damaged security latch.
In addition to all the evidence the Greenbergs put together, their attorney has also stated that the knife block being tipped over and the two knives found in the sink could be evidence of a struggle in the kitchen.
The attorney said that the condition of the knife block and knives is consistent with someone grabbing a knife quickly and forcefully, as if in the midst of an altercation with another individual, rather than that of a person who alone in the kitchen pulled out a knife for use at least initially for the preparation of a fruit salad.
In 2017, one of the Greenbergs' attorneys, Krasner, was elected as Philadelphia's district attorney. After he took office in 2018, the Greenbergs asked him to reopen Ellen's case. However, he referred their request to the state attorney general's office due to the conflict of interest.
So they sent all of the evidence from all their attorneys and all their experts over to the Attorney General's office. The Attorney General's office did open their own investigation. But two years later, in 2019, the Attorney General's office said that they concluded Ellen's death to be a suicide. Her case was closed. But Ellen's parents weren't ready to give up yet.
In part two, I'm going to tell you about their continued investigation, all the other evidence they uncovered along the way, and where Ellen's case stands today. But as always, thank you, I love you, and I'll talk to you next time.
Voices for Justice is hosted and produced by me, Sarah Turney, and is a Voices for Justice media original. This episode contains writing and research by Haley Gray, with research assistance by Anna Luria. If you love what we do here, please don't forget to follow, rate, and review the show on your podcast player. It's an easy and free way to help us and help more people find these cases in need of justice.