Fresh questions have emerged over the death of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, after a doctor who observed his post-mortem examination claimed he was likely strangled rather than having taken his own life in a New York prison cell.
Epstein was found dead in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. At the time, the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner ruled his death a suicide by hanging, a conclusion that has long been the subject of public debate and speculation.
Doctor Disputes Official Suicide Ruling
According to a report by The Telegraph, Dr Michael Baden, who attended the autopsy as an observer on behalf of Epstein’s family, believes the injuries were more consistent with strangulation than hanging.
“My opinion is that his death was most likely caused by strangulation pressure rather than hanging,” Baden told the newspaper. “Given all the information now available, further investigation into the cause and manner of death is warranted.”
Baden did not conduct the post-mortem himself but was present during the procedure. He said that at the time of the autopsy, both he and the medical examiner agreed that additional information would be necessary to conclusively determine the cause and manner of death.
“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,” he told The Telegraph.
The renewed scrutiny follows the release of more than three million files linked to Epstein by the US Department of Justice, a disclosure that has reignited debate over the circumstances surrounding his death.
Baden’s concerns echo those previously voiced by Epstein’s legal team, who have reportedly said they were “not satisfied” with the findings of the medical examiner’s office.
In 2019, Baden publicly questioned the official ruling. Speaking to Fox News that year, he said the evidence “points toward homicide rather than suicide”.
Epstein’s death inside a federal detention facility stunned the United States and triggered multiple investigations into prison procedures and oversight. Despite the official determination of suicide, doubts have persisted, fuelled by procedural lapses at the jail and the high-profile nature of the case.
