The Critical State Of The Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office: 5 Unsettling Truths Revealed In 2025

Jan 10, 2026 • minute read

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The Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office (OME) is currently navigating a period of intense scrutiny and significant internal turmoil, with a new acting leader contending with a severe staffing crisis, union disputes, and the fallout from high-profile death investigations. As of December 20, 2025, the office, which is tasked with determining the cause and manner of sudden, unexpected, and unnatural deaths across the city, remains at the center of public attention due to its operational struggles and recent controversial case re-evaluations.

The crucial work performed by Philadelphia's forensic pathologists and death investigators—from addressing the city’s devastating opioid epidemic to providing closure for families—is being hampered by a lack of resources, leading to delays and calls for a complete overhaul of the department. Recent developments, including a sudden Chief Medical Examiner resignation and the re-classification of a decade-old, highly publicized death, underscore the urgent need for stability and reform within this vital public health and justice institution.

Leadership in Flux: The Philadelphia OME's Recent Chief Medical Examiners

The leadership of the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office (PMEO) has been volatile, with a rapid succession of appointments and resignations signaling deep-seated issues within the department. This instability presents a major challenge to maintaining the integrity and efficiency of death investigations in the city.

Dr. Constance DiAngelo: A Brief Tenure and Sudden Resignation

Appointment: Dr. Constance DiAngelo was appointed as the Chief Medical Examiner (CME) by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH).
Role: She was tasked with overseeing forensic pathology and the entire death investigation process.
Resignation: Dr. DiAngelo abruptly resigned from her position on December 14, 2024, after less than a year on the job. Her departure came on the heels of an investigation, though the exact details surrounding the resignation remain complex and point to internal departmental disorder.

Dr. Lindsay Simon: The Acting Chief Medical Examiner

Current Position: Following Dr. DiAngelo's departure, Dr. Lindsay Simon was appointed as the Acting Chief Medical Examiner.
Background: Dr. Simon is a forensic pathologist who previously served as a deputy medical examiner and former acting chief deputy medical examiner.
Challenge: Her immediate focus is on stabilizing the office, which is grappling with critical understaffing and a massive caseload, especially related to the ongoing opioid crisis.

The Ellen Greenberg Case: Suicide Reaffirmed After Reopening

One of the most significant and controversial developments to emerge from the PMEO involves the death of Ellen Greenberg, a case that has been a subject of intense public and legal debate for over a decade. The OME’s recent actions have brought the case back into the national spotlight.

Ellen Greenberg, a Philadelphia schoolteacher, was found dead in her apartment in 2011 with multiple stab wounds. The initial ruling by the Medical Examiner's Office was suicide, a conclusion her family vehemently disputed, leading to a prolonged civil lawsuit against the city and the MEO.

In a major development, the city and the Greenberg family reached a settlement, which included the critical provision that the Medical Examiner's Office would officially reopen the case for a new, independent review. This decision was seen as a victory for the family, offering a chance for a new manner of death determination.

However, the most recent update indicates a final, controversial conclusion: after reopening the investigation and conducting a thorough review, the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office again classified Ellen Greenberg’s death as a suicide. This re-affirmation, despite the case reopening, ensures the controversy surrounding the death will continue to be a source of public and legal scrutiny directed at the PMEO.

Critical Challenges Facing the Medical Examiner's Office

The core functions of the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office are under severe strain, impacting the delivery of timely and accurate forensic services to the city’s justice system and grieving families. The office's mission—to investigate sudden, unexpected, and unnatural deaths—is being compromised by three major, interlinked issues.

1. Severe Understaffing and Overload

A recent report highlighted that the PMEO is critically understaffed, struggling to properly investigate the high volume of deaths in Philadelphia. This shortage includes forensic pathologists, death investigators, and support staff, leading to backlogs in autopsies and the issuance of official autopsy reports and death certificates. The strain is particularly acute given the city’s public health crises.

2. The Overwhelming Opioid Crisis Caseload

Philadelphia’s devastating opioid crisis contributes significantly to the PMEO's workload. The sheer number of overdose deaths requires extensive toxicological testing and detailed forensic analysis to confirm the cause and manner of death. This massive, sustained caseload is a primary factor in the understaffing crisis and the overall operational struggles of the office.

3. Labor Disputes and Union Strikes

The internal turmoil was further exposed by a recent labor dispute. Unionized employees within the Medical Examiner's Office went on strike, protesting working conditions and resource shortages. A judge was forced to intervene, issuing an order that required the striking employees to return to work, underscoring the critical, essential nature of the OME's services to the city.

Historical Misconduct and Ongoing Internal Investigations

Beyond the current operational issues, the Philadelphia MEO is also dealing with the repercussions of historical misconduct that has recently come to light, further eroding public trust.

The office and the Penn Museum have launched internal investigations into the misuse and mishandling of human remains that occurred decades ago. This controversy centers on the transfer and alleged misuse of 26 human brains from the Medical Examiner's Office to the Penn Museum, highlighting a serious lapse in the handling of forensic evidence and human remains from the past. This ongoing investigation, alongside the current leadership and operational struggles, paints a picture of a department in desperate need of comprehensive reform and public oversight.

The Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office continues its essential, yet challenging, work from its facility, primarily located at 321 S University Ave. The future stability of the office hinges on the ability of the new acting leadership, Dr. Lindsay Simon, to secure necessary funding, address the staffing crisis, and restore public confidence in the integrity of Philadelphia's death investigation system.

The Critical State of the Philadelphia Medical Examiner's Office: 5 Unsettling Truths Revealed in 2025

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