Pathologist Challenges Official Narrative on Epstein's Death
Nearly six years after Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his New York prison cell, a prominent pathologist is calling for a reinvestigation, claiming the convicted paedophile was strangled rather than having died by hanging. Dr Michael Baden, who observed the post mortem examination on behalf of Epstein's estate, has publicly disputed the New York Medical Examiner's Office conclusion of suicide.
Autopsy Findings Point to Strangulation
Dr Baden told The Telegraph that his professional opinion, based on the autopsy, is that Epstein's death was most likely caused by strangulation pressure rather than hanging. He emphasised that the autopsy findings were inconclusive at the time, with the official document marking the manner of death as 'pending' and leaving boxes for homicide and suicide blank.
'Given all the information now available, further investigation into the cause and manner of death is warranted,' Dr Baden stated. He noted that three distinct fractures were identified on Epstein's neck during the post mortem: one on the left hyoid bone and two in the thyroid cartilage. The 92-year-old pathologist, with decades of experience reviewing prisoner death reports in New York, said he has never seen such fractures in a suicide by hanging.
New Evidence from Released Documents
The call for reinvestigation comes after the US Department of Justice released more than three million documents related to Epstein. Among these files is never-before-seen footage showing prison guards discovering Epstein's body at the Metropolitan Correctional Center on August 10, 2019. The video reveals guards moving between a security desk and Epstein's cell area in the minutes before he was officially declared dead at 6.39am.
More intriguingly, investigators flagged suspicious CCTV footage from the night before Epstein's death. At 10.39pm on August 9, 2019, FBI agents observed an orange shape moving up a staircase toward Epstein's cell block. While the FBI suggested this might have been an inmate, the inspector general noted that inmates were on lockdown at the time and speculated it could be someone carrying linen or bedding.
Disputed Official Conclusion
Five days after the initial inconclusive autopsy findings, Dr Barbara Sampson, New York's then-chief medical examiner who was not present at the post mortem, ruled that Epstein died by hanging and the manner was suicide. Dr Sampson publicly dismissed Dr Baden's strangulation theory, stating she stood 'firmly' behind her conclusion.
However, Dr Baden maintains that the evidence points toward homicide. 'The autopsy findings are much more consistent with a crushing injury caused by homicidal strangulation than caused by hanging by suicide,' he asserted in a recent interview, standing by his 2019 comments to Fox News.
Prison Failures and Lost Evidence
The newly released documents reveal multiple failures at the supposedly secure detention facility. Prison guards assigned to monitor Epstein missed required checks at 3am and 5am on the night of his death. Surveillance cameras outside his cell malfunctioned, creating critical gaps in monitoring. Investigators were unable to establish a definitive timeline of Epstein's final moments due to these failures.
Dr Baden also highlighted issues with evidence handling. He claimed the orange bedsheet allegedly used as a noose did not match the injury patterns on Epstein's neck, suggesting a different type of material caused the markings. Furthermore, he alleged that Epstein's body was moved to the infirmary in a 'highly unusual' chain of events, and that the precise time of death was lost, with no official determination made to this day.
Continuing Controversy
Despite the official ruling from Donald Trump's justice department and the FBI that Epstein took his own life with no evidence of murder, discrepancies in the released documents continue to fuel speculation. One federal statement announcing Epstein's death carries a date of August 9, 2019—appearing to precede when he was actually found dead on August 10.
Epstein's lawyers have expressed dissatisfaction with the medical examiner's findings, sharing Dr Baden's concerns. With the pathologist now pushing for renewed examination in light of new information, questions about one of the most closely watched federal criminal cases in recent memory remain unresolved.
