Key Points:
Pathologist disputes suicide, suggests strangulation.
Three neck fractures triggered forensic controversy.
Epstein found partially suspended in cell.
Guards skipped checks and falsified logs.
Officials still maintain suicide ruling.
Nearly seven years after financier Jeffrey Epstein was found dead inside a New York federal jail, a forensic pathologist who witnessed the autopsy has renewed doubts about the official conclusion of suicide.
Dr Michael Baden, former chief medical examiner of New York City, says the injuries he observed during the post mortem were more consistent with strangulation than hanging and has called for a fresh investigation into the 2019 death.
Epstein, who was awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, was found unresponsive in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center on August 10, 2019. Authorities ruled the death a suicide by hanging shortly afterward.
Baden attended the autopsy as an observer on behalf of Epstein’s family. He initially described the cause of death as inconclusive but later said the medical evidence suggested otherwise.
He stated his opinion that the death was most likely caused by strangulation pressure rather than hanging and urged authorities to re examine the case.
The official post mortem documented three fractures in the neck
One fracture of the left hyoid bone
Two fractures of the thyroid cartilage
According to Baden, encountering all three fractures together is unusual in suicidal hanging cases and raised concerns about homicidal strangulation.
However, New York City Chief Medical Examiner Dr Barbara Sampson concluded the death was suicide and has consistently maintained that finding.
See also: The #iwasfifteen Hashtag and Ongoing Epstein Coverage Show How Traffickers Exploit the Vulnerabilities of Teens and Tweens+
Prison guards discovered Epstein in a near seated partially suspended position with material around his neck tied to the top bunk bed. They removed the ligature and attempted CPR before he was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Baden argued that the body position and injury pattern together did not clearly match a typical hanging mechanism and warranted deeper scrutiny.
Multiple procedural lapses at the Metropolitan Correctional Center intensified suspicions
Epstein’s cellmate was transferred out the night before
Mandatory 30 minute checks were not conducted after about 10:40 pm
Staff later falsified records showing rounds were completed
The two guards on duty were later charged over the falsified logs.
Investigators also reviewed surveillance footage showing a flash of orange moving toward Epstein’s housing tier shortly before the death, though officials disagreed whether it was an inmate or staff member.
The US Justice Department and FBI investigations have not overturned the suicide ruling, but Baden maintains the medical findings justify reopening the case.