A forensic pathologist who was present at Jeffrey Epstein’s post-mortem has called for a reinvestigation into the disgraced financier’s death, arguing that it was more consistent with strangulation than suicide by hanging. Epstein was found dead in his New York prison cell on 10 August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. His death was officially ruled a suicide by the New York Medical Examiner’s Office. However, Dr. Michael Baden, who attended the autopsy as an observer on behalf of Epstein’s family, has publicly challenged that conclusion.
In interviews with The Telegraph, Dr. Baden said: “My opinion is that his death was most likely caused by strangulation pressure rather than hanging. Given all the information now available, further investigation into the cause and manner of death is warranted.”
He previously told Fox News in 2019 that “the evidence points toward homicide rather than suicide,” and has reiterated that he still stands by that assessment.
Michael Baden is an American forensic pathologist known for investigating high-profile deaths. He was present during Epstein’s post-mortem examination in 2019, acting as an observer on behalf of theEpsteinfamily, though he did not conduct the autopsy himself.
According to Dr. Baden, at the time of the examination, both he and the medical examiner agreed that more information was needed to determine the exact cause and manner of death. He later told The Telegraph that he had not seen evidence of further study or investigation into the cause of death following the initial findings.
Dr. Baden has pointed to several issues that he believes warrant closer scrutiny. He cited three distinct fractures in Epstein’s neck, one on the left hyoid bone and two involving the thyroid cartilage, stating that in his 50-year career, he had never seen three such fractures in a suicide by hanging in inmate deaths across New York state and local jails.
“The autopsy findings are much more consistent with a crushing injury caused by homicidal strangulation than caused by hanging by suicide,” he said. He also questioned whether the noose, reportedly made from an orange bedsheet, matched the injuries observed, noting that the markings on Epstein’s neck would have required a different type of material.
Dr. Baden further suggested that critical evidence may have been lost due to mistakes and a lack of care in the handling of Epstein’s body.
Following Epstein’s death in August 2019, the New York Medical Examiner’s Office ruled it a suicide by hanging. Then-chief medical examiner Dr. Barbara Sampson concluded that Epstein died by suicide and has stood firmly behind that ruling, dismissing speculation to the contrary.
Epstein was discovered hanging off the side of his cell’s bed at approximately 6:30 AM. Guards who were required to check on him every 30 minutes reportedly failed to do so. Questions were also raised about surveillance cameras near his cell, with reports that two cameras were either not functioning or failed to record. CCTV footage from the night of his death reportedly contained a “missing minute” between 11:58 PM and 12:00 AM.
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