Teacher's suspicious suicide crime scene was cleaned up before police arrived
The apartment of a woman found dead in it was cleaned up before police arrived in what has been branded a 'deeply flawed' investigation.
Philadelphia teacher Ellen Greenberg was discovered with a knife in her chest along with multiple stab wounds and bruises in 2011. On Wednesday an appellate panel ruled by majority that the 27-year-old's parents lacked standing in a civil lawsuit but lambasted Philadelphia pathologist, Dr. Marlon Osbourne.
The doctor, who now works in Florida, had ruled Ellen's death that included 20 stab wounds - 10 to the back of the head and neck - as a "suicide." Her parents, Sandee and Dr. Josh Greenberg, hoped that by suing the city, its medical examiner's office and Osbourne, it would be changed to "homicide" or "undetermined."
In a 32-page decision, the judge called the facts of case "deeply disturbing" and extended sympathies the parents. Commonwealth Judge Ellen Ceisler wrote: "The facts surrounding this matter are extremely disturbing and the Parents’ tireless efforts over the past 12 years to learn exactly what happened to their daughter on the evening of January 26, 2011, warrant our sincere sympathy.
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She was engaged to be married to Sam Goldberg (Greenberg Family)"The experts they enlisted have all raised serious factual questions about Dr. Osbourne’s and Dr. [Sam] Gulino’s conclusions, and even the [medical examiner's office] now concedes that there 'is no dispute that evidence in the record could support other conclusions about the manner of death." Fox News reports that although Dr Osbourne's initial finding was that the death was a homicide, this came after the crime scene had been cleaned up and before police arrived with a search warrant.
The decision continued: "Melissa Ware, later explained that an unnamed [Philadelphia Police Department] representative had advised her to call a third-party service to have the apartment thoroughly cleaned." Yet it was concluded that no evidence was shown that Ms Ware, the police representative or the cleaning service were interviewed.
A 32-page decision was published over Ellen's death (Justice For Ellen)Joe Podraza, Ellen's parents' attorney said that items were also removed out of the apartment by her fiance's uncle, including her purse, three laptops and two cellphones.
Ms Ware took video of the scene before the cleanup crew arrived and gave it to Philadelphia police but it is currently unaccounted for, According to the Mr Podraza. Ellen's death certificate was revised a month later after a secret meeting involving police, prosecutors and the pathologists.
Officially, her violent death was and remains a suicide. Judge Ceisler also noted the "astonishment" that the security guard who Ellen's fiance claimed was present when he found the body denied having been there, in writing. A new admission was also included from officials that the evidence "could support other conclusions" than a suicide - Podraza called this a "remarkable admission".
A rendering showing more than a dozen of Ellen Greenberg's stab wounds (Tom Brennan)Judge Patricia McCullough - one of three judges on the panel - argued that Ellen has been "deprived" of her "victim status" by it being ruled a suicide on what she called "the erroneous death certificate". Suicide is not a crime under state law.
Mr Podraza said: "The majority opinion is a road map on how to commit murder and to not be held accountable. "That's the most astounding aspect of the opinion: You have, as I read it, three judges saying this young woman was murdered, the investigation is grossly flawed and embarrassing, there is a murderer or murderers out there, but our hands are tied and nobody can do anything except the government officials, and you're therefore subject to their whims."
The Chester County District Attorney's Office is also conducting an outside review of the death and her family are also pursuing a separate civil lawsuit alleging a cover-up of evidence in her death. The parents plan to appeal Wednesday's decision to the state's Supreme Court.
The attorney added in a statement that the City is "now, and has always been, deeply sympathetic" to Ellen's parents over their loss and urged them to come forward if they have any new evidence and present it to Chester County investigators as they have the authority to reopen the investigation.
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