Teacher’s Death from 20 Stab Wounds Ruled a Suicide — Nancy Grace Says She Knew ‘Something Was Very Wrong’ (Exclusive)

In January 2011, Ellen Greenberg was happily planning her wedding to fiancé Sam Goldberg. The Philadelphia couple had just finalized their guest list and sent out save-the-date cards.

On the morning of January 26, Ellen spoke with her mother, Sandee Greenberg, before heading to her job as a first-grade teacher. That evening, Sam returned to their upscale apartment to find Ellen dead on the kitchen floor, suffering from 20 stab wounds and bruises across her body.

The following day, medical examiner Dr. Marlon Osbourne conducted an autopsy and initially ruled Ellen’s death a homicide. His report revealed that 10 of the stab wounds were located on the back of her neck. He also noted bruises in “various stages of resolution,” indicating they had occurred over time. Osbourne concluded she had been “stabbed by another person,” according to CNN.

But the case took a shocking turn.

Soon after meeting with law enforcement, Osbourne changed the cause of death — ruling it a suicide instead. The news devastated Ellen’s parents, Sandee and Josh Greenberg, who were still grappling with their daughter’s sudden and violent death at just 27 years old. They never believed Ellen took her own life — and neither does veteran TV and podcast host Nancy Grace.

Grace, who spent significant time with the Greenbergs while researching her new book, What Happened to Ellen? An American Miscarriage of Justice, says she immediately sensed something was off.

Debuting on Tuesday, April 22 and written with Benée Knauer, the book goes in-depth into the many twists and turns of the labyrinthine mystery surrounding the vivacious young teacher’s death.

The former prosecutor and legal commentator tells PEOPLE she immediately questioned Ellen’s death as soon as she learned about the tragic case.

“I saw that this beautiful first-grade teacher had ‘committed suicide’ with 20 stab wounds and I knew immediately, ‘Something is very wrong,’” Grace says.

Wanting to explore the matter further, she met with the Greenbergs, who have fought for years to have their daughter’s death ruled a homicide. “I’ve been with them ever since,” she says.

The couple filed lawsuits against the city of Philadelphia and city officials alleging that Ellen’s death had incorrectly been ruled a suicide. In addition, more than 167,000 people signed an online petition asking for the medical examiner to reopen Ellen’s case.

They won a victory in February, when Dr. Osbourne said in a sworn statement that after reviewing new information, he no longer believes Ellen killed herself and that the ruling “should be designated as something other than suicide,” The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

Grace has spent a lot of time with the couple over the past three years.

“I traveled to meet them in Pennsylvania,” she says. “I went to Ellen’s grave. I’ve gone to her synagogue and sat in the seat where her parents sat during the service.”