Overview
- Dr. Michael Baden, who observed Jeffrey Epstein’s 2019 post-mortem on behalf of the family, says the injuries are more consistent with strangulation and urges a re-examination of the cause and manner of death.
- A Justice Department release of case files included a redacted autopsy listing the manner of death as pending and surveillance video with a reported brief gap and an unexplained orange movement near Epstein’s tier.
- New York’s medical examiner ruled the death a suicide by hanging in 2019, then–chief Dr. Barbara Sampson has repeatedly defended that finding, and federal authorities say there is no evidence of homicide.
- The official autopsy recorded three neck fractures—including the hyoid and thyroid cartilage—which Baden calls atypical for suicidal hanging; he also questions a bedsheet noose match and cites evidence-handling concerns.
- Documented jail lapses at the Manhattan facility included missed wellness checks, camera failures or gaps, and guards later charged with falsifying records, factors that have fueled ongoing calls for further review.