In the evening, Sam goes to the gym inside the Venice Loft apartment building for a 30-minute work out.

Venice Lofts

Sam returns from the gym after a 30 minute workout. He finds that the door is locked with the latch. Sam later shared with law enforcement that he tried to text and call Ellen to open the door, but when she didn’t respond, he asked the apartment building doorman to come break the lock. The doorman said he wouldn’t do that because it was against company policy, so Sam resorts to breaking open the door himself.

Venice Lofts

Over the course of 22 minutes, Sam gets increasingly frustrated being unable to get into the apartment. He sends a series of text messages, a few phone calls, and one email. The texts to Ellen read: "Hello" "open the door" "what r u doin" "im getting pissed" "hello" "you better have an excuse" "what the f***" "ahhh" "u have no idea"

Venice Lofts

Sam calls 911 looking for an ambulance for Ellen. He says that there’s blood everywhere, that she’s on the floor in the kitchen, and that her face is turning purple. He tells the operator that she’s lying on her back on the floor — which is an inconsistency later noted with the police’s long-held stance that Ellen was never moved. The police maintain that her head, neck, and shoulders were propped up against cabinets.

Venice Lofts

While on the phone with emergency services, the operator asks where Ellen is bleeding from — but Sam is unable to give an answer. When the operator says that she’ll walk him through doing CPR , if he’s willing, Sam asks, “I have to, right?” Ultimately, when Sam lays Ellen on her back and takes off her shirt, Sam can be heard in the 911 call audio saying that her shirt won’t come off because of the zipper. He then exclaims, “She fell on a knife… there’s a knife sticking out of her heart.” The operator clarifies, asking, “Oh, she stabbed herself?” To which Sam responds, “I guess so, I don’t know, or she fell on it. I don’t know.”

Venice Lofts

As the police begin investigating the death scene, they treat it as a suicide mainly because of Sam’s comments about his alibi, his cooperation at the scene, and the lack of signs of a struggle or intruder. The police find that the apartment door was locked from the inside. It’s also apparent from Ellen’s body that there were no defensive wounds, according to the investigators.

Venice Lofts

The morning after Ellen’s body is found, an autopsy is conducted by Dr. Marlon Osbourne. He makes the shocking discovery that Ellen’s injuries are much more serious than just the one stab wound to the heart. She had a total of 20 stab wounds — 10 on her back and neck, and 10 on her chest. There was also a 2.5 inch-long gash across her scalp, and 11 bruises in various stages of healing on her arm, abdomen, and leg. Ultimately, Dr. Osbourne concluded that this was a homicide.

As Dr. Osbourne informs the police of his findings, they ask him to list the manner of death as "pending" until they conclude their investigation. Soon after, they insist that he changes it to "suicide" — they make this determination because only Ellen's DNA is found on the knife, Ellen didn't have defensive wounds, and Ellen reportedly had concerning text messages and internet searches regarding painless and quick ways someone can take their own life.

The Philadelphia Police Department declair Ellen's death is a suicide.

After the Philadelphia Police Department announced their investigative findings related to suicide, Dr. Osbourne officially amends the manner of death on Ellen's death certificate from homicide to suicide.

Additional experts, namely Wayne K. Ross, M.D., P.C., and Dr. Henry C. Lee, publicly wrote that after reviewing case reports and photographs, they believe Ellen's death is consistent with a homicide.

Following the initial investigation carried out by the Philadelphia Police Department, the District Attorney's Office receives the case in 2018. They conduct their own thorough investigation.

After interviewing the medical examiner, reviewing the autopsy, meeting with the family, and reviewing supplemental information, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office said that digital evidence on Ellen's personal computer indicates that she was in mental distress. They conclude that evidence supports "suicide" as the manner of death.

In late 2021, Joe Podraza submits new evidence to the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office that the family believes proves Ellen was murdered.

The Philadelphia trial court responds to Attorney Joe Podraza suggesting that the case should head to trial. To that end, the city attempts to block the case from being heard. The family appeals.

The case for Ellen's death investigation to be redefined as a homicide hit a setback as the Pennsylvania appellate court ruled against the family. The Commonwealth Court, in a 2-to-1 ruling, found the Greenbergs lacked standing to bring their claim, meaning simply that "they can't raise this challenge" to have the ruling changed. The judges say it would open the door for anyone to argue against a death ruling — regardless of a flawed investigation.