(NewsNation) — The family of Ellen Greenberg reached a settlement agreement with Philadelphia officials to reopen the investigation into the teacher’s death more than 14 years after it happened.
The agreement came before a civil case set to begin on Monday. The medical examiner who initially investigated the case released new legal verification indicating he believes the ruling of a suicide is inaccurate.
The judge had also ruled that the medical examiner and a detective would have to testify in the civil trial.
Greenberg was found dead on Jan. 26, 2011, in the kitchen of her apartment by her fiancé. The 27-year-old woman had been stabbed 20 times.
Philadelphia Medical Examiner Marlon Osbourne initially ruled the death a homicide due to the large number of stab wounds, including 10 on the back of Greenberg’s neck. But police challenged the finding and he changed his assessment to suicide.
Osbourne did not offer an explanation for the change at the time, but a new statement showed he made the change after additional information from her case file from the police and a consult from another doctor.
He then said he is now unsure of what happened on the day of Greenberg’s death and did not know whether the door to the apartment had been forced open or not or if Greenberg’s body had been moved.
He also cited the findings of a different doctor who did a neuropathological segment on Greenberg after her death.
Retired forensic pathologist and medical examiner Dr. Michelle DuPre described the update as ‘unexplainable and unforgivable.'”
“All of these things coming out now were known at the time,” DuPre said during a Monday appearance on “Banfield.” “We have something called ‘undetermined’ cause of death. If there was any question at all, the medical examiner could have listed it as undetermined. That leaves the investigation open, but that wasn’t the case.”
Greenberg’s parents have tried to have her manner of death changed back to homicide for years, but the city has argued that even if a medical examiner is incorrect about the way someone died, they can’t be compelled to change their finding.
In 2018, a review of the case was conducted by Chester County officials to avoid a conflict of interest. Investigators found they could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime was committed and the case was marked as inactive.