In a major development for a case that has captivated the true crime community for over a decade, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has reportedly requested documents related to the 2011 death of Ellen Greenberg.
The move comes just months after the city of Philadelphia officially closed its own re-examination of the case, once again ruling the 27-year-old teacher’s death a suicide despite her having sustained 20 stab wounds.
Ellen Greenberg was found dead in her Manayunk apartment on January 26, 2011. Her body bore 20 stab wounds—including ten to her back and neck—and she was discovered with a knife still protruding from her chest.
While the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office initially ruled the death a homicide, the designation was changed to suicide just weeks later following a meeting with investigators. For 15 years, Ellen’s parents, Joshua and Sandra Greenberg, have waged a relentless legal battle to have that ruling overturned.
In October 2025, a court-mandated independent review by Philadelphia Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Lindsay Simon concluded that the suicide ruling should stand. The 32-page report argued that while the injuries were “unusual,” they were not impossible for Greenberg to have inflicted herself.
The family’s attorney, Joseph Podraza, blasted the city’s findings as “tripe” and a “predetermined conclusion,” stating at the time: “The only way that Ellen can get justice is outside the confines of Philadelphia.”
The recent request for files by federal authorities suggests that the “other avenues” Podraza alluded to may now be opening. While the U.S. Attorney’s Office has maintained its standard policy of neither confirming nor denying the existence of an active investigation, sources indicate the federal government is specifically looking into the investigative handling of the case.
The Greenbergs have expressed cautious optimism regarding federal involvement. Their legal team is currently preparing to share over 10 gigabytes of forensic data and 3D wound recreations with federal investigators—evidence they claim local authorities have ignored for years.
The city of Philadelphia has declined to comment on the U.S. Attorney’s request, citing ongoing legal sensitivities.
