An appeals court panel upheld a ruling that a Philadelphia teacher found dead in 2011 with 20 stab wounds had committed suicide, but slammed the police investigation as “grossly flawed,” according to court documents.
The family of Ellen Greenberg, 27, has fought for more than a decade to overturn the city’s ruling over the death of the teacher, whose body was riddled with stab wounds, including 10 to the back of the head and neck.
Greenberg’s family hired a team of experts after his death who indicated that a knife in his apartment had been turned over, possibly indicating he had been involved in a struggle, and that a wound to the back of his head may have rendered him unconscious. and could not defend himself.
His family have also questioned why he filled his gas tank before returning home and did not leave a note indicating that he planned to kill himself.
An appeals panel ruled Wednesday that Greenberg’s parents, Joshua and Sandra, did not have standing to file a civil suit, but the judge criticized city police, prosecutors, the medical examiner’s office and pathologists Marlon Osbourne and Sam Gulino for mistakes made in their investigation. Fox News reports.
“The facts surrounding this matter are deeply troubling and the parents’ tireless efforts over the past 12 years to find out exactly what happened to their daughter on the evening of January 26, 2011, warrant our sincere sympathy,” Judge Ellen Ceisler wrote.
Ellen Greenberg, 27, was found dead in her home with 20 stab wounds, half of them in the back of her head and neck. Family photo
Exhibits show stab wounds found on Greenberg’s body. Court documents
“The experts they enlisted have all raised serious factual questions about Dr. Osbourne and Dr. [Sam] Conclusion Gulino, and also [medical examiner’s office] now admits that ‘there is no dispute that the evidence in the record could support another conclusion as to the manner of death.’”
Ceisler slammed Osburne in particular over his initial conclusion that Greenberg’s death was a homicide, which occurred after the crime scene had been cleared before police arrived.
The panel added that there was no record of officers interviewing the company that cleaned up the scene, the building manager or a representative of the police department who told the manager to hire a cleanup crew.
Joe Podraza, the family’s attorney, added that the building’s manager had taken video of the scene before the cleanup and provided it to police, but the video was unknown.
An appeals court upheld the determination that Greenberg’s death was a suicide, but slammed the officers who investigated her death. JusticeForEllen2019/Facebook
He previously claimed that evidence showed at least two of the 20 stab wounds were made after Greenberg’s heart had stopped beating.
Lawyers criticized the appeal court’s decision as a failure to seek justice for murder victims
“The majority opinion is a road map of how to commit murder and be irresponsible,” Podraza told Fox.
“That’s the most shocking aspect of the opinion: You have, as I read it, three judges saying this young woman was murdered, the investigation is very flawed and shameful, there is a killer or killers out there, but our hands are tied and nobody can do anything except government officials, and therefore you are subject to their will.”
Greenberg was set to marry her fiance, Sam Goldberg, who found her body.JusticeForEllen2019/Facebook
A city spokeswoman said officials sympathized with the Greenberg family but were satisfied with the court’s decision.
Greenberg’s parents plan to appeal the decision to the state Supreme Court.
Greenberg’s death is also being reviewed by the Chester County District Attorney’s Office, with the family pursuing a separate civil lawsuit alleging a cover-up of his death.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
