Nearly 15 years after teacher Ellen Greenberg was found stabbed to death in her Philadelphia home, federal prosecutors have launched a new investigation into how the case was handled, according to a report by The Philadelphia Inquirer. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has issued subpoenas seeking documents from the Philadelphia Police Department and other agencies involved in the original inquiry.
Greenberg, 27, was discovered by her fiancé, Sam Goldberg, on 26 January 2011. She had been stabbed at least 20 times, including ten times in the back of the neck, with a 10-inch knife lodged in her chest. Her death was initially ruled a homicide but reclassified as suicide two weeks later, a decision that sparked a decade-long legal battle by her parents, Josh and Sandra Greenberg.
The federal investigation appears to focus not on the manner of death but on potential misconduct by agencies including the Philadelphia Police Department, the Medical Examiner’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office, and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office. The full scope remains unclear; a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to confirm or deny the probe.
Joseph Podraza Jr., attorney for the Greenbergs, expressed gratitude, saying, “This is exactly what we’ve wanted all along.” The parents have long argued their daughter was murdered and accused the city of covering up a botched homicide investigation. In January 2025, the original medical examiner submitted a sworn statement suggesting the death should not be classified as suicide.
Philadelphia settled with the family in February 2025, paying $650,000 and agreeing to an independent autopsy review. Goldberg, who has never been charged, told CNN in 2024 that mental illness was to blame and denounced accusations against him. The case gained renewed attention after a Hulu documentary aired in September.
