What Really Happened to Ellen Greenberg?

·1 hr 40 min·5 clips

Sam Goldberg tells 911 his fiancée stabbed herself, but the knife was still in her chest.

This episode examines the controversial death of 27-year-old Philadelphia teacher Ellen Greenberg in 2011. Hosts Jill and Dick, known for their detailed true crime storytelling, explore the case's many unresolved questions. They focus on the initial investigation, which quickly shifted from a potential homicide to a ruling of suicide. Ellen was engaged to Sam Goldberg and was found with a knife in her chest in her locked apartment on a snow day. The 911 call, placed by Sam, features him suggesting she stabbed herself or fell on a knife. Crime scene details include a half-prepared fruit salad, a pristine bathroom towel in Ellen's hand, and an overturned knife block. The apartment door had an interior swing-bar lock Sam claimed to have forced, though experts later questioned this possibility. Independent investigator Tom Brennan, a former FBI analyst, reviewed the case and found the scene was not processed as a homicide. The autopsy documented 20 stab wounds, including 10 to the back of her head and neck, some deep enough to penetrate her skull. Bruises in various stages of healing were found on Ellen's body. Sam's uncle, attorney James Schwartzman, retrieved items like laptops and Ellen's phone from the apartment before a formal investigation concluded. The medical examiner initially ruled the death a homicide, but this was quietly changed to suicide three months later without new evidence. Forensic expert Dr. Wayne Ross later stated the wounds were inconsistent with self-infliction. Ellen's laptop briefly connected to Wi-Fi at 4:45 PM, minutes before Sam's 911 call, but no activity was recorded. Her parents, Joshua and Sandy Greenberg, have persistently challenged the suicide ruling, citing the violent nature of the wounds and the lack of defensive injuries. The hosts analyze the 911 call, noting Sam's fluctuating tone and his mention of the knife only when instructed to open Ellen's clothing. They highlight the discrepancy between Sam's statement that a security guard escorted him and the guard's denial. The episode questions why there was no struggle in the apartment despite the violent attack and why valuables were left untouched. The tone is investigative and conversational, blending narrative storytelling with analytical commentary on the evidence. Listeners who enjoy deep dives into unresolved cases with puzzling crime scene details will find this episode compelling. Those seeking a concluded story or who are sensitive to descriptions of violent injuries may wish to skip it.

As heard by us

A careful, unsettling look at a death that never really added up.

Jill and Dick revisit Ellen Greenberg, the 27-year-old engaged teacher found dead in her Philadelphia apartment during a snowstorm, and they keep the focus on the facts without rushing past the parts that still do not sit right.

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Why you'd press play

Press play for a measured look at a case that keeps changing shape.

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