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A Pennsylvania district attorney made a major announcement in its outside investigation into the case of 27-year-old Ellen Greenberg, a Philadelphia teacher whose 2011 death was ruled a suicide after her fiancé found her in the kitchen during a blizzard with 20 stab wounds, half of them from behind.
Her parents, Dr. Josh and Sandee Greenberg, have been entangled in court battles with the government since their daughter’s untimely death. They have accused the medical examiner’s office of covering up their daughter’s homicide, demanded police turn over more evidence and tried suing to have the designation of “suicide” on her death certificate replaced with “homicide” or “undetermined.”
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The Chester County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday morning that it has conducted its investigation, and prosecutors are “currently unable to move forward with criminal charges.” They are moving Greenberg’s case to an “inactive” status in Chester County but are leaving it open to re-examine if they get new information.
After re-interviewing key people in the original Philadelphia investigation, consulting an independent forensic expert and taking other investigatory steps, “Chester County’s investigative team determined that, based on the current state of the evidence, we cannot prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime was committed,” the office said.
JUDGE TIED TO ELLEN GREENBERG’S FIANCÉ TOOK ITEMS FROM HER ‘SUICIDE’ SCENE BEFORE POLICE SEARCH
The knife found piercing the chest of 27-year-old Philadelphia teacher Ellen Greenberg has never been fingerprinted, according to the attorney for her parents, who are suing city officials over an alleged cover up of her death.
The DA’s office noted that there is no statute of limitations for criminal homicide, said that the case would remain open and, therefore, investigators would “not be answering any questions about this matter.”
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The DA’s office met with Greenberg’s parents and their attorney on Thursday to share the news before announcing it to the public.
“They didn’t go very deeply into the case…they really didn’t come up with anything new,” Dr. Josh Greenberg told Fox News Digital.
“Our conviction about Ellen having been murdered does not change due to the announcement by the Chester County District Attorney’s Office,” Greenberg family attorney Joseph Podraza said in a press release he provided to Fox News Digital.
“Admittedly, the investigation conducted by the Chester County District Attorney’s Office was extremely limited and constrained. The Office told us that they did not investigate the core issues which we have raised which establish Ellen was murdered, and that evidence remains unchallenged,” Podraza continued.
“The independent forensic expert who they said they consulted during the course of the investigation was similarly bounded by his own limited background, an undergraduate degree in entomology (the study of insects) and a masters in criminal justice, but no medical school training, nor any training in the specialty of forensic pathology, both of which are necessary in order to competently assess the evidence uncovered in this case to date.”
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The Chester County District Attorney’s Office initiated an independent investigation roughly two years ago, after both Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner and former Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro, now the governor, both recused themselves from the case.
Krasner had previously worked with Greenberg’s parents as part of his private practice, and Shapiro previously denied having “an actual conflict” but acknowledged the “appearance” of one.
When Shapiro was the attorney general, a spokesperson told Fox News Digital that not only his office undertook “an exhaustive review and conducted new forensic analysis” – but also that new expert testimony and information had been withheld from investigators.
“These unfortunate limitations and constraints notwithstanding, we do appreciate the District Attorney’s professional courtesy of speaking with the family and candidly acknowledging all these limitations and constraints,” Podraza added. “We also point out that another highly experienced homicide prosecutor while employed at the Philadelphia DA’s Office conducted his own independent review of this case, thoroughly investigated all the issues surrounding Ellen’s death, and reached the opposite conclusion, that Ellen was murdered.
Ellen Greenberg in an undated family photo.(Greenberg family)
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“We now look forward to an upcoming trial where a full and forthright examination of the core issues surrounding Ellen’s murder may be publicly conducted before an independent judge and jury of our peers.”
In September, Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments from the Greenbergs and their attorney.
“The Supreme Court is going to be deciding whether or not Sandee and I have standing. And that’s a real big thing … I mean, no one has ever gotten this far. … I know it’s taken almost 14 years, but it’s still a very important case,” Dr. Greenberg previously told Fox News Digital.
Greenberg was found on Jan. 6, 2011 with 20 stab wounds, including 10 from behind, at least one of which could have been inflicted after she was already dead, according to court documents. Her body was also covered in bruises in different stages of healing, which her parents say are consistent with abuse.
WATCH ‘TEACHER DEATH MYSTERY’ ON FOX NATION
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At the time of her death, Greenberg and her fiancé, Sam Goldberg, had recently sent out “save-the-dates” for their upcoming wedding. Her body was found in the kitchen near a half-made fruit salad on the countertop.
After her death, a forensic pathologist with the city medical examiner’s office, Dr. Marlon Osbourne, ruled it a homicide, according to court documents. Then he reversed course after meeting with police behind closed doors and deemed it officially a suicide.
Greenberg’s parents and experienced outside investigators have raised concerns that police botched their response to her death and released the scene too early. They have also questioned why Goldberg’s uncle, James Schwartzman, was allowed to remove a number of items from the scene.
TEACHER’S UNLIKELY ‘SUICIDE’ RULING CALLED OUT AS WEB SLEUTHS DIG INTO SURVEILLANCE VIDEO
This crime scene photo shows damage to Ellen Greenberg’s apartment door after her fiancé, Sam Goldberg, told police he kicked it in from the outside.(Tom Brennan)
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“Things were removed from the crime scene without our permission. The chain of custody was broken from the very beginning when Jim Schwartzman removed computers, electronics, my daughter’s handbag,” Dr. Josh Greenberg previously told Fox News Digital.
A representative for Schwartzman, a distinguished judge in Pennsylvania, responded to these claims on his behalf, saying police gave him permission to go in and take Greenberg’s belongings. He denied removing her handbag, but he admitted to removing her computers and cellphones.
“The door was damaged and unsecure, and he took out items that he thought might be stolen,” the representative for Schwartzman previously explained to Fox News Digital on his behalf. He added that Schwartzman did not need the permission of Greenberg’s parents to take anything from the apartment once police released the scene.
‘SUICIDE’ RULING FOR TEACHER’S 20 STAB WOUNDS MAY BE REEXAMINED AS FAMILY SECURES POTENTIAL MAJOR WIN
WATCH: Melissa Ware discusses cleanup at Ellen Greenberg’s apartment
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Neither Goldberg nor Schwartzman have been charged with any wrongdoing in relation to Greenberg’s death.
Philadelphia police did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. They have previously declined to discuss the case, citing the open investigation in Chester County and the ongoing civil litigation.
Goldberg and the Chester County District Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond for comment.
“I very much look forward to being able to have our voices heard,” Sandee Greenberg said. “Not only are we fighting now for justice for Ellen, but because there’s so much attention on these different lawsuits, it will set some precedent, hopefully, for other victims of heinous crimes.”
On a typical day, some of the 20 stealth fighter jets based in South Burlington, Vt., take off from tiny Burlington International Airport for training runs near the northern border. In recent months, they’ve flown much farther afield.
The Vermont Air National Guard’s 158th Fighter Wing was deployed in December to the Caribbean, where it took part in the US campaign to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Shortly thereafter, the squadron joined a military buildup in and around the Middle East to prepare for US and Israeli airstrikes against Iran.
Though both deployments had been widely reported, the military remained mum about the whereabouts of Vermont’s F-35A Lightning II jets. Even Governor Phil Scott, technically the commander of the Vermont Guard, said he only knew what he’d read in the news, given that US military leaderswere directing the missions.
On Monday, General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed the deployments at a Pentagon press conference about the war on Iran. Caine praised National Guard members from Vermont, Wisconsin, and elsewhere.
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“In the case of the Vermont Air National Guard and the 158th Fighter Wing, they were mobilized for Operation Absolute Resolve,” Caine said, referring to the Venezuela campaign. “And then were tasked to take their F-35As across the Atlantic instead of going home, to be prepared to support this operation” in the Middle East.
Much remains unknown about the Vermont Guard’s recent missions, including the precise role they played in Venezuela and Iran, where the jets are currently based, and how long they’ll remain.
The Guard did not immediately respond to requests for comment., Its recently elected leader, General Henry “Hank” Harder, said in a statement that the force was “proud of the dedicated and professional service of our Airmen” and pledged to support their families in the meantime.
“We will continue to carry out our commitment to these Vermont Service Members until, and long after, they return from this mission,” Harder said.
Vermont’s three-member congressional delegation, meanwhile, has praised Vermont Guard members for their service in Venezuela but has criticized President Trump’s campaigns there and in Iran, particularly absent congressional authorization.
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“The people of our country, no matter what their political persuasion, do not want endless war,” said Senator Bernie Sanders, an independent, echoing similar remarks from Senator Peter Welch and Representative Becca Balint, both Democrats. “We must not allow Trump to force us into another senseless war. No war with Iran.”
Paul Heintz can be reached at paul.heintz@globe.com. Follow him on X @paulheintz.
A 22-year-old assisted living employee accused of disguising himself in long female wigs and executing an 87-year-old millionaire philanthropist he treated nightly, is now also charged with shooting at a Maryland state trooper Tuesday while on the run.
The Montgomery County Department of Police’s Major Crimes Division confirmed during a news conference on Wednesday that Marquis Emilio James, 22, of White Marsh, Maryland, was arrested in connection with the Valentine’s Day homicide of 87-year-old Robert G. Fuller Jr. at the Cogir Potomac Senior Living Facility, and the shooting of a Maryland State Police trooper Tuesday during a traffic stop in West Baltimore.
James, who had been employed as a medication technician at the senior living facility since October, was allegedly seen on surveillance footage entering and exiting through a tampered courtyard door around the time Fuller was fatally shot in the head in his apartment.
Nothing appeared to have been taken from Fuller’s home during the crime, according to Montgomery County Police Chief Marc Yamada.
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Robert Fuller Jr., left, gives remarks at the 2017 opening of Veterans Academic Center in Augusta, Me., a project to which he donated. (Joe Phelan/Centralmaine.com)
Investigators later determined the door’s alarm sensor had been disabled in January — on a day when James had been the only person seen using the door.
During a search, folded paper towels used to prop doors open on the day of the murder and again days later, were found by police.
Yamada said that days after Fuller’s death, James was found inside the facility after his shift ended, gave a suspicious explanation to other workers, triggered another exterior door alarm, and fled when a supervisor was going to be notified.
The door he used to exit had also been tampered with, according to authorities.
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Marquis James, 22, is charged in connection to the murder and traffic stop shooting.(Montgomery County Police Department)
At about 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, a Maryland State Police trooper pulled over James’ car to conduct a traffic stop after noticing he was missing license plates.
As the trooper approached the car, James, who was driving, suddenly opened the car door and fired two shots, said Maryland State Police Lt. Col. Steve Decerbo.
The bullets narrowly missed the trooper by inches, and he only sustained minor injuries.
“Without a doubt, our Maryland State trooper escaped an outcome that could have ended much differently,” Decerbo said.
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Marquis James was allegedly seen on video wearing a long wig.(Montgomery County Police Department)
James immediately drove away, and investigators later recovered a shell casing from the scene that matched ballistic evidence from Fuller’s murder, linking the two cases.
Montgomery County Police, Maryland State Police and the U.S. Marshals took James into custody Wednesday afternoon in Rockville after a brief foot chase.
James is charged in Montgomery County with first-degree murder, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
He is being held without bond, with a court hearing scheduled.
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ROBERT CARRADINE, ‘LIZZIE MCGUIRE’ AND ‘REVENGE OF THE NERDS’ STAR, DEAD AT 71
While conducting two search warrants in Baltimore County, investigators recovered “numerous” wigs and a mask, consistent with what appeared to be a disguise in surveillance footage.
Police initially said there was no clear description of the person’s gender or race, adding the suspect seen in the footage could be male or female due to the long wig.
Yamada added police “do not have a good sense of why” James allegedly shot and killed Fuller.
Police Chief Yamada did not reveal a motive for the shootings.(Montgomery County Police Department)
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“Upon speaking with him, he said their relationship was very good, and he would never have hurt Mr. Fuller,” he said. “So we’re hopeful that as we get further in … we’re going to get a better sense of what was going on behind the scenes, what types of communications Marquis James had, [and] what he was searching on his electronic devices. We’re hopeful that that’s going to lead us to a better sense of why.”
Yamada would not confirm if James had a criminal record.
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Maine State Rep. Bill Bridgeo, who met Fuller while working as city manager in Augusta, told NBC 4 Washington Fuller was a prominent attorney and a retired Navy Reserve officer.
Bridgeo told the local station Fuller donated millions to the community to build a new YMCA, hospital and expand a high school.
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Alexandra Koch is a Fox News Digital journalist who covers breaking news, with a focus on high-impact events that shape national conversation.
She has covered major national crises, including the L.A. wildfires, Potomac and Hudson River aviation disasters, Boulder terror attack, and Texas Hill Country floods.
That was more than what every other city department spent on overtime combined, though itwas a slight drop from the $103 million the police department spent on overtime in 2024.
Highovertime spending inside the police department has long been controversial and a source of frustration for police-reform advocates. Last year’s nine-figure total comes as Mayor Michelle Wu warns of a challenging budget season to come for the city, which is grappling with inflation and the possibility of more federal funding cuts.
In a December letter, Wu told the city council that she instructed city department heads to find ways to cut 2 percent of their budgets in the next fiscal year. She also imposed a delay on new hires. Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper has also proposed cutting somewhere between 300 and 400 positions next fiscal year due to budget constraints.
Overall, the city spent about $2.5 billion on employee salaries in 2025, up around 1.5 percent from $2.4 billion in 2024. The city employs roughly 21,000 workers, according to a public dashboard.
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In a statement, Emma Pettit, a spokesperson for Wu’s office, attributed the payroll increase to raises, and in some cases, employees receivingretroactive pay, that were part of contracts the city negotiated with its various labor unions.
“We’re grateful to our city employees for their hard work to hold Boston to the highest standard for delivering city services,” Pettit said.
When Wu won her first mayoral race in November 2021, all of the city’s 44 union contracts had expired. Since then, Wu’s office has negotiated new agreements with all of them, and last year, agreed to a one-year contract extension with the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association, the city’s largest police union.
But as the city heads back to the bargaining table to negotiate extensions or new contracts with others, city leaders should keep cost at the forefront of those conversations, said Steve Poftak, president of the Boston Municipal Research Bureau, a business-backed budget watchdog group.
“As budgets tighten, I’m hopeful that it increases the scrutiny on these collective bargaining agreements,” Poftak said.
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The top earner on the city’s payroll last year was Boston Police Captain Timothy Connolly. In addition to his $194,000 base salary, Connolly took home nearly $230,000 in overtime, about $26,000 in undefined “other pay,” and roughly $49,000 as part of a higher-education bonus, for a total of $498,145in compensation.
Skipper, as BPS superintendent, was the 55th-highest earner among city workers, coming behind 54 members of the police department. She made a total of $378,000 in 2025.
Nearly 300 city employees made more than $300,000 last year. In contrast, Wu made $207,000, though her salary increased to $250,000 this year. More than 1,700 city employees made more than the mayor in 2025.
Larry Calderone, president of the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association, argued that the high overtime costs in the police department are, in part, a result of understaffing.
The department is short roughly 400 rank-and-file police officers, Calderone said, meaning the department has to pay its staff to work overtime and fill vacant shifts. The average salary for an officer in the BPPA is roughly $195,000, Calderone said.
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With several large events approaching, including a Boston-based fan fest around this summer’s World Cup matches and the return of a fleet of tall ships to Boston Harbor, Calderone said most of the members of his union are likely to be working the maximum allowable 90 hours a week.
“We just don’t have the bodies on the street,” he said.
The Boston Police Department and the Boston Police Superior Officers Federation — the union that represents the department’s sergeants, captains, and lieutenants — did not immediately return requests for comment Monday.
Jamarhl Crawford, an activist and former member of the Boston Police Reform Task Force, said while high spending on overtime is not new for the police department, it’s a pressing problem the city should tackle.
The police and fire departments are “essential components of the city and society in general … [and] folks should be getting a fair wage. But it also has to be within fiscal responsibility,” Crawford said.
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“In another 10 years,” he continued, “with pensions and everything else, this type of thing can bankrupt the city.”
Niki Griswold can be reached at niki.griswold@globe.com. Follow her @nikigriswold. Yoohyun Jung can be reached at y.jung@globe.com.
