Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.
A doctor associated with the Epstein family is advocating for a new investigation, asserting that the convicted sex offender’s death was not a suicide.
On August 10, 2019, Jeffrey Epstein was discovered dead in his Manhattan cell while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
A coroner determined that Epstein, a former financier, committed suicide.
Epstein had been placed on suicide watch following a suicide attempt on July 23, 2019. During this time, Epstein accused his cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, who was incarcerated on murder charges, of trying to kill him.
The Department of Justice released the Epstein files in December, which included details of his post-mortem examination.
Dr. Michael Baden, who observed the post-mortem examination, remains skeptical that Epstein died by suicide.
In a conversation with the Telegraph, Dr. Baden, who was engaged by Epstein’s estate, stated: “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.”
Dr. Baden further commented: “At the time that the autopsy was done by the medical examiner, we both agreed that, on the basis of the autopsy report and the information available, more information was needed to determine the cause and manner of death.”
It should be noted that Dr. Baden did not perform the post-mortem but was present on behalf of the Epstein family.
Dr. Barbara Sampson, who was the chief medical examiner in New York at the time, concluded that Epstein’s death was a suicide and rejected any claims of strangulation.
“I have not seen any evidence of further study, nothing that indicated further investigation into the cause of death,” Dr. Baden added. “The diagnosis was made a number of days after the first cause of death given.”
The doctor mentioned that people simply ‘accepted’ the cause of death ruling, and that in complex cases such as this, a complete understanding may take weeks or even months.
He added: “The autopsy findings are much more consistent with a crushing injury caused by homicidal strangulation than caused by hanging by suicide.”
Both the FBI and the Trump administration maintain there is no evidence to support the theory that Epstein was murdered, affirming that his death was due to suicide.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in a mental health crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.