A Philadelphia judge ruled Friday that a lawsuit can go forward against several city officials over the handling of the death of Ellen Greenburg, a 27-year-old teacher whose death was ruled a suicide despite being found with 20 stab wounds.

The judge dismissed the lawsuit for one defendant — a police supervisor who was a sergeant at the time of Greenberg’s death in 2011 — but other officials with the city’s police department and medical examiner’s office remain defendants, KYW reported.

Greenberg’s parents, Joshua and Sandee Greenberg, are suing for emotional distress.

Greenberg’s fiance, Sam Goldberg, claimed he went to the gym while Greenberg was preparing dinner on January 26, 2011, and came back to find the door to their apartment deadbolted from the inside, as CrimeOnline reported. When he couldn’t reach her by phone, he told investigators, he forced his way into the apartment and found Greenberg dead with stab wounds in the head, neck, and chest.

Her death was initially ruled a suicide, then a homicide, and finally changed back to a suicide. The Greenbergs believe their daughter was murdered and that the investigation was botched and covered up.

Medical Examiner Marlon Osbourne ruled Greenberg’s death a homicide, citing the number of stab wounds, half of them to the back of the neck. Police publicly challenged the findings, however, he changed his ruling.

The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office upheld the suicide ruling, despite some indication that at least one wound did not bleed — meaning it would have been inflicted after death. Prosecutors said in November they would not be reopening the case, but noted that there is no statute of limitations for murder so it could be reopened in the future.

According to WCAU, the trial is set to begin Monday with jury selection followed by opening statements.

A second lawsuit filed by the Greenbergs seeks to change the cause of death on their daughter’s death certificate. That case is before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

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[Featured image: Ellen Greenberg/family handout]