Suicide Ruling In Manayunk Teacher's Death Can't Be Overturned: Judge

MANAYUNK, PHILADELPHIA — A judge said the suicide ruling for 27-year-old first grade teacher Ellen Greenberg cannot be overturned after her family filed a suit to have it thrown out.

Greenberg was found with 20 stab wounds in her Manayunk condominium on Jan. 26, 2011.

Investigators said she was stabbed after she was already dead.

Initially, the 27-year-old first grade teacher's death was ruled a homicide, but authorities later said her death was a suicide.

Back in October 2022, her family filed a suit against the city, alleging it covered up her death and wrongly ruled her death a suicide.

However, a Wednesday ruling in the Commonwealth Court said her family did not have legal standing to sue the city in hopes of reversing the suicide ruling to homicide.

This comes even as the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office said there "is no dispute that evidence in the record could support other conclusions about the manner of [Greenberg's] death."

"While this Court is acutely aware of the deeply flawed investigation of the Victim’s death by the City of Philadelphia Police Department (PPD) detectives, the City of Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office (DAO), and the MEO, we have no choice under the law but to reverse and remand to the Trial Court for the entry of judgment in favor of the MEO," the ruling reads.

Despite that, the court said it believes that "providing a detailed review of the Victim’s death and the ensuing investigation is clearly warranted with hopes that equity may one day prevail for the Victim and her loved ones."

Detectives and the Medical Examiner's Office initially could not agree on a cause of death, with the Medical Examiner's Office calling the death a homicide, and law enforcement calling it a "suspicious death."

Greenberg's family in 2019 asked for the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office to reopen the case, but District Attorney Larry Krasner sent the case to then Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro's office, According to Action News.

In late 2021, the AG's office was given a 10 gigabyte file by Greenberg's family.

A representative for the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office told Patch in December 2021 that the file was being reviewed and that it was too early to say if it contains new details or new evidence.

However, the case was sent back to Philadelphia.

"While the Office of Attorney General does not have an actual conflict in this matter, circumstances beyond our control have created the appearance of a conflict and our involvement is no longer serving one of the primary purposes of the District Attorney's original conflict referral," the AG's office said in July 2022.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Krasner's office referred the case to Chester County, as he previously represented the Greenberg family when he was in private practice.

The Chester County District Attorney's Office confirmed to Patch in August 2022 that it has accepted a referral from the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office to review the case.

"We have assigned an investigator and prosecutor to review it," the Chester County DA's office said.