Ep 22. The Golden Child

The Golden Child is the twenty-second episode of the twenty-seventh season of the popular investigative news program Dateline. The episode takes viewers to Phoenix, Arizona, where the story of a wealthy young entrepreneur named Greg Greenberg unfolds. According to interviews with friends and family members, Greenberg was a charismatic and hard-working individual with a promising future ahead of him. However, on the morning of July 6, 2012, Greenberg was found dead inside his own home. The investigation into his death would eventually lead detectives to a shocking discovery that would rock his loved ones to the core.

The episode begins with a nod to Greenberg's accomplishments both personally and professionally. Interview footage shows family members and friends speaking highly of his talent as a businessman and his passion for life. However, the perspective shifts quickly when news of his sudden and untimely death arises. The initial investigation into his death classifies it as a suicide, citing an abundance of evidence that led detectives to the conclusion that Greenberg had shot himself in the head. However, Greenberg's family and friends refused to believe that the manner of his death was truly as simple as it appeared to be.

The crux of the episode revolves around the multiple accounts of the events leading up to the discovery of Greenberg's body. While initial reports suggested that he was alone in his home at the time of his death, subsequent investigations revealed that he was actually in the company of a close friend named Marissa Rundell. Rundell was also the last person to see Greenberg alive, according to her own testimony. At the time, Rundell claimed that Greenberg seemed tired and overwhelmed, but nothing out of the ordinary had occurred between the two.

However, as more witnesses were interviewed, holes began to emerge in Rundell's story. Friends of Greenberg's claimed that the two had been involved in a romantic relationship, despite Rundell being married at the time. Others mentioned that Rundell had been in a relationship with Greenberg's business partner, which ultimately soured due to Rundell's infidelity. In addition, investigators discovered that Rundell might have had a motive to harm Greenberg based on his will, which had named her as the sole beneficiary of a significant portion of his estate.

As the episode progresses, viewers are left to grapple with multiple theories about what might have happened the morning of Greenberg's death. The focus shifts to the police investigation, where detectives attempt to uncover the truth behind the circumstances of Greenberg's death. They review security footage from the area, conduct interviews with acquaintances and family members, and even attempt to reenact the shooting based on the layout of the room and the wound on Greenberg's head.

However, the most compelling aspect of the episode is the human drama that unfolds as family members and friends struggle to make sense of his death. Close family members, including Greenberg's mother, are shown grappling with intense grief and a sense of anger at the loss of such a bright, vibrant individual. Friends of the deceased also express their frustration and disbelief at the notion that a man they admired so deeply could end his own life.

Overall, Dateline's The Golden Child is a gripping exploration of a tragic and mysterious death that left many questions unanswered. As the episode comes to a close, viewers are left pondering the different perspectives and conflicting stories surrounding Greenberg's life and death, and are encouraged to draw their own conclusions about what really happened to this beloved entrepreneur.