Judge allows Ellen Greenberg's parents to take Philadelphia city officials to trial for emotional distress
A judge will allow the parents of a Manayunk teacher who died in 2011 to go to trial against several city officials for emotional distress.
Ellen Greenberg was just 27 years old when she was found dead from 20 stab wounds in an apartment she shared with her fiancé in Mayunk. Greenberg had taught at Juniata Park Academy in North Philadelphia. According to court records, Greenberg's fiancé was at the gym and returned to find the apartment door deadbolted.
After trying to reach Greenberg for over an hour, he broke down the door and saw her dead in the apartment with more than 20 stab wounds. Medical examiner's records show she had been stabbed in the head, neck and chest.
Her death was first ruled a suicide, then changed to homicide, and then back to suicide. Her parents have waged a long legal battle, claiming that their daughter was murdered and the investigation was botched and covered up.
On Friday afternoon, a judge handed down an order that dismissed the lawsuit for one defendant – a police supervisor who was a sergeant at the time of Greenberg's death.
This means the judge has found there is enough evidence to proceed to trial against officials with the Philadelphia Police Department and Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office.
CBS News Philadelphia is working to get a comment from the city's law department and the mayor's office.
