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Why This One Particular Stab Wound Is Crucial In Ellen Greenberg Family's Arguments

On Jan. 26, 2011, Ellen Rae Greenberg was found on the kitchen floor of her Philadelphia apartment with 20 stab wounds — 10 to the back of her neck alone.

Ellen Greenberg

Ellen Greenberg

Photo Credit: Justice For Ellen Facebook photo

In a hearing last week, Greenberg's attorneys made arguments to have the ruling on Ellen's death changed from suicide to something else. 

Among the points made was the fact that at least one of the wounds could not have been self-inflicted as it lacked blood, and was administered after Ellen had already died, the family's attorney Joe Podraza citing the findings of a city pathologist. That wound is in the neck region between C2 and C3 of Ellen's spine, and lacks blood.

"[Ellen] could not physically have self-inflicted all of these wounds, and the city medical examiner concedes that one of the wounds preserved in a sample that they presently posses is post mortem. "Both sides agree that dead people do not self inflict after they are dead."

While the city's medical examiner initially ruled the teacher and Harrisburg native's death a homicide, he later changed to it suicide.

Greenberg's family has spent the last decade fighting to have that ruling changed again and, according to Podraza, only then can Justice For Ellen truly begin, he tells Daily Voice. A decision on the hearing was expected to be reached in the next three to six months, the attorney.

"We felt we were able to make all the pertinent points in the short period of time, and that the judges were extremely attentive and well-versed on the case, having reviewed all material submitted in advance," the attorney said in a phone call. "We also felt that the panel demonstrated a great deal of sympathy for a very difficult and complex matter."

A GoFundMe page launched for Ellen's family had raised more than $41,000 as of Nov. 21, 2022.

"With the help of our lawyers, we finally convinced a court to consider the case, and we’re hopeful the judge will intervene for Ellen and order her death certificate to be changed," the page reads.

"Just getting this far has taken all of the last 10 years—including a decade’s worth of experts and lawyers—and the coming trial is still only the beginning."

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