Editor’s Note: This article contains discussions of suicide. Reader discretion is advised. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, you can find resources in your area on the National Crisis Line website or by calling 988.
(NewsNation) — The Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office has determined Ellen Greenberg’s cause of death and ruled it a suicide again.
The review comes just ahead of a Tuesday hearing in a civil case filed by Greenberg’s parents, according to People Magazine. Greenberg was found dead Jan. 26, 2011, in the kitchen of her apartment by her fiancé. The 27-year-old had been stabbed 20 times, and multiple bruises were found on her body.
Her family maintains that she did not take her own life.
Philadelphia Medical Examiner Marlon Osbourne ruled Greenberg’s death a homicide at first because of the number of stab wounds she had, but after police challenged his findings, he changed the assessment to suicide.
Osbourne never explained why he changed his assessment at the time, but a new statement showed he made the change after additional information from her case file from the police and consulting with another doctor.
A new, three-part docuseries on streaming platform Hulu highlights her family’s mission for more answers after her death, and features interviews from Greenberg’s friends and some experts as to why they believe she was murdered. One of the experts said they believed some of the wounds Greenberg had were inflicted after she died.
In a review done by Philadelphia Chief Medical Examiner Lindsay Simon, she wrote that she disagrees with the expert’s findings. Simon said the ME’s office was asked to conduct an independent and unbiased review of all available materials relating to Greenberg’s death.
Simon said while the injuries Greenberg had are “unusual,” she was still capable of stabbing herself, and noted that she had a history of anxiety.
Greenberg’s mother, Sandee Greenberg, expressed her family’s disappointment in a statement to NewsNation.
“Very distressing to suffer this injustice,” she said. We are presently reviewing the document, which appears to selectively choose information to reach a predetermined result. Things like no evidence of struggle in the kitchen are false.
“The knife block was knocked over with such force that knives flew across the counter into the sink. This is but one example of false representations or information taken out of context throughout the document. It’s a sad day for Pennsylvanians.”