Legal battle over death of Ellen Greenberg heads to court
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The legal battle over the controversial death of Ellen Greenberg has spilled into appeals court. Greenberg is the Philadelphia school teacher who was found dead of multiple stab wounds more than a decade ago.
Greenberg had her life cut short at just 27 years old after she was found dead with almost 20 stab wounds inside her apartment in Manayunk more than a decade ago.
"She did not kill herself," Sandee Greenberg, Ellen's mother, said.
Ellen Greenberg's parents Sandee and Josh have been fighting to change Ellen's death certificate from suicide to homicide or undetermined since 2011 and have recently sued former employees in the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office.
"I don't understand why the city is making it so difficult and fighting so hard against us," Sandee said.
The Greenbergs are now hoping their case goes to trial.
A Philadelphia city solicitor and Greenberg's attorneys squared off in front of an appeals court in Center City on Tuesday.
The Greenbergs' attorney, Joe Podraza, argued to a panel of three judges that images forensically proved Ellen could not have stabbed herself almost 20 times.
A deposition of a city-hired medical expert was also referenced in Tuesday's case.
"By definition, meaning it was inflicted when Ellen was dead, makes it clear that she could not have self-inflicted all 20 or any of the 20, frankly, of those wounds," Podraza said.
But a Philadelphia assistant city solicitor argued Ellen lacked defense wounds and the case should not go to trial.
In a statement, the city said the medical examiner's office "should not be subjected to legal pressure to revise their professional and considered determinations."
The appellate court has not said when they would decide if this case should move to a trial.