This week on Pathology with Dr. Priya, a Zone 7 series, Sheryl McCollum and Dr. Priya Banerjee continue their forensic review of the 2011 death of Ellen Greenberg, a young woman found with more than twenty stab wounds in her Philadelphia apartment. Picking up where part one left off, Dr. Priya discusses the two critical stab wounds that penetrated Ellen's brain stem and spinal cord; injuries she believes would have rendered her incapable of any further self-harm. From the anatomy of the cervical spine to the forensic interpretation of bruising, Dr. Priya explains why the medical evidence in this case still challenges the official ruling of suicide, and why the Greenberg family continues to fight for justice.

 

Highlights

• (0:00) Welcome to Pathology with Dr. Priya: A Zone 7 series—Sheryl McCollum and Dr. Priya introduce part two of the Ellen Greenberg case
• (1:45) Dr. Priya describes how she documents injuries and explains why numbering stab wounds can mislead investigators
• (2:45) The base-of-skull wounds, and how it penetrated the dura, disrupting vital brainstem functions
• (4:45) The cervical-spine injury between C2 and C3 and how Ellen’s neurological injuries could explain the absence of defensive wounds
• (10:45) Distinguishing the possible order of injuries, and why positioning and directionality are critical in understanding the sequence of events
• (13:15) "History of mental illness does not make you suicidal.” Dr. Priya explains why psychiatric history must be interpreted cautiously in death investigations
• (14:15) Brusing: what it can and cannot tell investigators about struggle, timing and prior assaults
• (20:00) Dr. Priya reflects on the Greenberg family’s courage, and the power of their love to keep fighting for the truth

 

 

About the Hosts

Dr. Priya Banerjee is a board-certified forensic pathologist with extensive experience in death investigation, clinical forensics, and courtroom testimony. A graduate of Johns Hopkins, she served for over a decade as Rhode Island’s state medical examiner and now runs a private forensic pathology practice. Her work includes military deaths, NSA cases, and high-profile investigations. Dr. Priya has also been featured as a forensic expert on platforms such as CrimeOnline and Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. She is a dedicated educator, animal lover, and proud mom.

Website: anchorforensicpathology.com
Twitter/X: @Autopsy_MD

Sheryl McCollum is an Emmy Award–winning CSI, a writer for CrimeOnline, and the Forensic and Crime Scene Expert for Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. She works as a CSI for a metro Atlanta Police Department and is the co-author of the textbook Cold Case: Pathways to Justice. Sheryl is also the founder and director of the Cold Case Investigative Research Institute (CCIRI), a nationally recognized nonprofit that brings together universities, law enforcement, and experts to help solve unsolved homicides, missing persons cases, and kidnappings.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter/X: @ColdCaseTips
Facebook: @sheryl.mccollum
Instagram: @officialzone7podcast

 

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