Today marks the 15th anniversary of Ellen’s death. Here is a glimpse of what 15 years of trying to achieve Justice has looked like for Ellen’s family:
2011: Attempted to obtain more information from Philadelphia Police after the cause of death was abruptly switched from Homicide to Suicide weeks after Ellen’s passing.
2012: Reached to famous forensic pathologist Dr. Cyril Wecht on his opinion; Dr. Wecht published a report concluding that the death was “strongly suspicious of homicide.”
2013: After 25 years with the Pennsylvania State Police and FBI, acclaimed Private Investigator Tom Brennan starts leading Ellen’s investigative efforts on a pro bono basis.
2014: Larry Krasner, hired by Greenbergs prior to becoming the Philadelphia District Attorney, is continuously stone-walled by the Philadelphia City Solicitor after requesting documents from the city of Philadelphia.
2015: Former Philadelphia Assistant District Attorney Guy D’Andrea discovers that there is a specimen of Ellen’s spinal cord saved at the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office.
2016: Josh Shapiro is elected as Pennsylvania Attorney General, hiring Jen Selber as his Executive Deputy Attorney General of Pennsylvania. Jen Selber had previously worked on the Greenberg’s case while with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office, blocking the Greenbergs from accessing critical case files.
2017: Forensic Pathologist Dr. Wayne Ross examines the tissue in Ellen’s saved spinal cord and later drafts a report stating there was evidence of strangulation, there were bruises consistent with repeated beatings, and that the scene findings were indicative of homicide.
2018: World-renowned forensic scientist Dr. Henry Lee publishes a report stating, “the number and type of wounds and bloodstain patterns observed are consistent with a homicide scene.”
2019: Stephanie Farr and the Philadelphia Inquirer publish a front-page investigation into Ellen’s death, the first many Inquirer articles updating the world about Ellen’s case.
2020: The Justice for Ellen Facebook page reaches 10,000 followers and starts to gain international attention (with YouTube videos sprouting up in different languages).
2021: As part of the Greenbergs’ lawsuit against the City of Philadelphia, there are depositions taken of Dr. Gulino (Chief Medical Examiner of Philadelphia), Dr. Osborne (Associate Medical Examiner of Philadelphia), Dr. Lyndsey Emery (Medical Examiner of Philadelphia), the Greenbergs, and Sergeant Cooney (Police Officer of Philadelphia).
2022: The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office releases a statement that they will not overturn the manner of death despite the recent deposition of a Medical Examiner stating that one of Ellen’s stab wounds occurred after she died (proving it was not a suicide). The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office said that the Medical Examiner “misspoke” in her deposition.
2023: The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court determines that Ellen’s parents do not have “standing” to bring their claim against the City of Philadelphia, forcing the Greenbergs to appeal to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.
2024: Tasked with investigating the case after Josh Shapiro admits to a material conflict of interest, Chester County uses an “expert” with an undergraduate degree in entomology (the study of insects) and a masters in criminal justice, but no medical training, to analyze Ellen’s case.
2025: Hulu releases a documentary on Ellen titled “Death in Apartment 603” – it rises to #1 on Hulu’s most watched list.
2026: New reports that the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania is engaging in a federal investigation of Ellen’s death.
As Ellen’s mother Sandee said, “We used to lie awake wondering why this happened to us, to our only child. Now we ask how did we end up here, in this situation, years later, still asking for justice, still asking someone to care.”
#JusticeForEllenGreenberg