QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Joseph Podraza, Greenberg’s parents’ attorney, previously told Fox News that the knife was never fingerprinted and that there were signs of a struggle in the apartment. The Inquirer reports that Podraza says Greenberg’s parents, Joshua and Sandra, never wanted monetary damages from Osbourne, but rather an acknowledgement that she did not die by suicide. “It’s a tremendous statement by Dr. Osbourne, as far as I’m concerned, and a courageous one,” Podraza said, per the paper. “The only thing unfortunate about it is how late in time it came. It should have come earlier, but we are grateful he has done the right thing.”
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STORY: "Woman's Death From 20 Stab Wounds Was Ruled a Suicide. Now, Pathologist Admits He Was Wrong" by Crime Reporter Liam Quinn, published by 'People' on February 3, 2025.
SUB-HEADING: "The pathologist who ruled Ellen Greenberg's death a suicide says he was wrong to do so in a new sworn statement."
GIST: "The pathologist who ruled Ellen Greenberg’s death a homicide before switching his ruling to a suicide now says he was wrong.
Greenberg, a 27-year-old Philadelphia teacher, was found dead with 20 stab wounds to the chest, abdomen, head and the back of her neck in 2011.
Despite authorities ruling that Greenberg’s death was a suicide after saying only her DNA was found on the knife and her clothing, her parents have maintained the belief that their daughter was murdered.
Now, Marlon Osbourne, formerly of the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office, says in a sworn statement that he should not have ruled Greenberg’s death a suicide, according to reports from the Philadelphia Inquirer and PennLive.
"[B]ased on my consideration of the new information brought to my attention after leaving my position as Medical Examiner for the City of Philadelphia, along with my original autopsy findings and information considered while I was actively involved in Ellen’s case,” Osbourne wrote in the reported statement, which is part of a settlement agreement in a lawsuit involving Greenberg’s parents, “it is my professional opinion Ellen’s manner of death should be designated as something other than suicide.”
Greenberg was found dead in 2011 by her fiancé, Sam Goldberg, after he returned to their home in Philadelphia.
PEOPLE previously reported that Goldberg told police he was unable to get into the apartment because the swing bar lock was in use. He eventually forced his way into the residence, where he discovered Greenberg dead with a 10-inch knife in her chest.
Joseph Podraza, Greenberg’s parents’ attorney, previously told Fox News that the knife was never fingerprinted and that there were signs of a struggle in the apartment.
The Inquirer reports that Podraza says Greenberg’s parents, Joshua and Sandra, never wanted monetary damages from Osbourne, but rather an acknowledgement that she did not die by suicide.
“It’s a tremendous statement by Dr. Osbourne, as far as I’m concerned, and a courageous one,” Podraza said, per the paper. “The only thing unfortunate about it is how late in time it came. It should have come earlier, but we are grateful he has done the right thing.”
The entire story can be read at:
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue/resource. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at: http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com. Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog.
SEE BREAKDOWN OF SOME OF THE ON-GOING INTERNATIONAL CASES (OUTSIDE OF THE CONTINENTAL USA) THAT I AM FOLLOWING ON THIS BLOG, AT THE LINK BELOW: HL:
https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/120008354894645705/4704913685758792985
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FINAL WORD: (Applicable to all of our wrongful conviction cases): "Whenever there is a wrongful conviction, it exposes errors in our criminal legal system, and we hope that this case — and lessons from it — can prevent future injustices."
Lawyer Radha Natarajan:
Executive Director: New England Innocence Project;
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FINAL, FINAL WORD: "Since its inception, the Innocence Project has pushed the criminal legal system to confront and correct the laws and policies that cause and contribute to wrongful convictions. They never shied away from the hard cases — the ones involving eyewitness identifications, confessions, and bite marks. Instead, in the course of presenting scientific evidence of innocence, they've exposed the unreliability of evidence that was, for centuries, deemed untouchable." So true!
Christina Swarns: Executive Director: The Innocence Project;
