Ellen Greenberg’s Parents' Attorney Blasts Medical Examiner’s Reevaluation of Her Death as ‘Deeply Flawed': ‘Shame on You’ (Exclusive) By KC Baker

The attorney for Ellen Greenberg’s parents is blasting the Philadelphia medical examiner’s recent reevaluation of the young woman’s 2011 death as a suicide, calling it deeply flawed and omitting important facts.

In a court settlement with Greenberg’s parents, the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office agreed in Feb. 2025 to review Greenberg’s manner of death, which was initially ruled a homicide before being changed weeks later to suicide.

After months of review, Philadelphia Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Lindsay Simon determined last week, that Greenberg’s 2011 death should remain classified as a suicide, even though her family and friends believe she was murdered.

“She would never do that,” her mother, Sandee Greenberg, previously told PEOPLE about the suicide ruling.

The Greenbergs’ attorney, Joe Podraza, believes Greenberg’s death needs to be further investigated, telling PEOPLE he disagrees with Simon’s findings.

“People who are not as familiar with the story must understand that this report omits facts, misstates facts and provides no context where some is needed,” he says. “Simon’s so-called ‘independent review’ of Ellen Greenberg’s death is a deeply flawed attempt to justify a predetermined conclusion.”

He took particular issue with a ruling that a stab wound in Ellen’s spinal column was made during her autopsy, which he said was “rejected by every credible expert, including the City’s own neuropathologist.”

In a phone call with PEOPLE, Podraza says, “This is a post-mortem stab wound that Simon wipes away by saying it was an artifact of the autopsy.”

The Greenbergs’ pursuit of answers about their daughter’s death was recently portrayed in the three-part docuseries on Hulu, Death in Apartment 603: What Happened to Ellen Greenberg?

The three-part series follows Ellen’s parents, Sandee and Josh Greenberg, as they fight to reopen the investigation and uncover the truth about their only child’s strange death.

Simon’s report also comes shortly before a hearing scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 14, before Philadelphia Common Pleas Court judge Linda Carpenter, who expressed her frustration at the length of time the reexamination was taking. 

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Now that the reexamination has been completed, Podraza says it is problematic.

The lawyer said the report ignores “key evidence that contradicts suicide” — including missing surveillance footage, unexplained bruises and a recreation which “proves Ellen could not self-inflict all of the wounds” and “accounts of a toxic relationship” — and instead builds a “flimsy case on distorted portrayals of Ellen’s mental health.”

“Shame on you Simon.”

Podraza called the report “an embarrassment to the City, and an insult to Ellen and her family.”

“It is clear the truth will not come from Philadelphia’s law enforcement machinery,” he said.” Though Ellen’s city turned its back on her, we will continue through other avenues to get justice for her murder, by any means necessary.”

Greenberg, 27, was found dead on Jan. 26, 2011, inside her Philadelphia apartment by her fiancé Sam Goldberg.

Goldberg has never been a suspect and has never been charged with any crime. He did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

An autopsy revealed that she had been stabbed at least 20 times, including in the neck, back, head and heart and had at least 11 bruises all over her body in various stages of healing. During a 911 call, Goldberg told the dispatcher that he saw a knife sticking out of her chest.

Shortly before Greenberg died, she had sought medical help for anxiety — for which Goldberg is “smeared” in the report, Podraza tells PEOPLE.

Podraza said he is speaking out because he doesn’t want people to think he and the Greenbergs “are conceding what Simon is saying. It is far from what we believe to be true.”