‘Death in Apartment 603: What Happened to Ellen Greenberg?’ Review: A Tragic Miscarriage of Justice
The vast majority of true crime cases are relatively straightforward. There’s usually a clear cause of death and a definitive ruling on the responsible party. The Hulu docu-series Death in Apartment 603: What Happened to Ellen Greenberg? recalls a very different type of case, one where nothing is certain. Speculation runs rampant regarding what really happened to Ellen, but the victim’s family is still searching for answers more than a decade after she died from multiple stab wounds. Thanks to improper crime scene handling and a perceived lack of initiative by law enforcement and the legal system, the case is still shrouded in ambiguity to this day.
The series takes us back to 2011 when schoolteacher Ellen Greenberg was found inside her apartment, stabbed 20 times (including in her back). Yet Philadelphia police immediately ruled the case a suicide based on her fiancé’s, Sam Goldberg, testimony, the absence of defensive wounds, and the fact that the security latch on the apartment door was reportedly engaged at the time of death, suggesting Ellen may have been alone when she died.
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It’s tough to say exactly what kept authorities from digging deeper and considering all the facts, but they seemingly turned a blind eye to much of the evidence. Despite what seemed like obvious signs of foul play, the police didn’t bring in a CSI unit. Instead, they tasked the building manager with calling in a third-party crime scene cleanup crew to tend to the aftermath, thereby eliminating important evidence in the process. Even more surprisingly, Ellen’s computer and other electronic devices were handed over to Sam’s uncle. Quite the unorthodox chain of custody.
The case relayed within Death in Apartment 603 just continues to confound from there. While the medical examiner disagreed with the first responders and initially ruled the case a homicide, he later reversed the decision, making it easy for the District Attorney’s office and local police to argue that they had little reason to continue the investigation. After all, it was a suicide, right? Well, that remains a hotly contested finding, and one that’s still being debated to this day. In fact, Ellen’s parents are presently working to reopen the case by legally compelling a re-ruling on her cause of death. The viewer gets to follow along as her bereaved parents grapple with tragedy while simultaneously trying to ensure that justice is served.
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Despite running into adversity at every turn, Ellen’s parents have never given up their quest for justice. They eventually hired private detective Thomas Brennan to investigate her case and continued to pressure law enforcement to reopen the investigation. As a last resort, they ultimately turned to the press for help, marking a turning point. Though the case didn’t initially garner a lot of media attention, Ellen’s mother and father found a reporter willing to listen and help shine the spotlight on her story. Journalist Stephanie Farr took a personal interest in the case, penning a piece for The Philadelphia Inquirer that gained momentum and ultimately sparked national attention. She weighs in here, as well, giving her thoughtful insights on this baffling ordeal.
As the series progressed, I found myself growing increasingly convinced that something is really off about this case. In addition to the suspicious about-face from the ME’s office, there is a series of suicide-related searches allegedly originating from Ellen’s computer that didn’t materialize until years after the initial investigation. There’s no mention of said searches in the preliminary reports from the police or the DA’s office. In fact, it wasn’t until years later, under intense media scrutiny, that the attorney general’s office even made mention of said searches. It’s possible that there’s an innocuous explanation for some of this, but it seems equally possible that there’s more to the story.
When you factor in that Ellen’s devices were removed from her apartment by Sam’s uncle, that adds yet another complicating factor to the equation and raises even more suspicion. Making the case even murkier, the alleged searches included “painless suicide.” If Ellen was looking for a painless way to end her life, it seems rather unlikely that she would self-inflict 20 stab wounds, doesn’t it?
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Director Nancy Schwartzman gives us plenty to think about as she profiles a number of parties close to Ellen, as well as PI Brennan and former ADA Guy D’Andrea, who previously looked into the case. Conspicuously absent from the coverage is anyone presently associated with the Philadelphia Police Department, the district attorney’s office, the attorney general’s office, or the medical examiner’s office. Each declined to make a statement or sit for an interview for this docu-series. One certainly can’t assume wrongdoing solely on that basis, but it still appears that some of these organizations have gone to great lengths to make this case go away.
Fortunately, the case is still unfolding. Ellen’s family continues to fight for justice, making significant headway in recent times. You’ll see exactly what I mean if you choose to check out the program. Hopefully, Ellen’s loved ones will find the answers they seek, but it still feels as though the system is rigged against them. The harder they fight, the more the powers that be seem to try to stand in their way. Regardless of what happens, this is an investigation I’ll be keeping an eye on going forward.
On the whole, Death in Apartment 603 is a meaningful portrait of Ellen’s legacy that celebrates her life while demanding answers. The series is also an evergreen reminder that the systems put in place to protect us and serve justice sometimes fail miserably. All three episodes of the series are available to stream on Hulu.
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Death in Apartment 603: What Happened to Ellen Greenberg?
Summary
‘Death in Apartment 603: What Happened to Ellen Greenberg?’ thoughtfully profiles an intriguing albeit maddening case.
Categorized: Reviews
