On August 10, 2019, Jeffrey Epstein was found unresponsive in his cell at New York’s Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC), with a bedsheet around his neck. He was pronounced dead at a hospital shortly after. New York City’s Chief Medical Examiner, Barbara Sampson, ruled the death a suicide by hanging following an autopsy, a finding upheld by federal investigations, including a 2023 DOJ Inspector General report and a 2025 DOJ-FBI memo.
The autopsy revealed multiple fractures: the hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage in Epstein’s neck. Pathologist Michael Baden, hired by Epstein’s family and present at the autopsy, argued these injuries—three fractures total—were “extremely unusual” in suicidal hangings and more consistent with homicidal strangulation. He noted he had never seen such patterns in thousands of jail suicides.
However, Sampson and other experts countered that hyoid and thyroid fractures occur in both suicides and homicides, especially in older individuals like the 66-year-old Epstein, due to brittle bones. Studies show such fractures in up to 72% of suicidal hangings, and the absence of defensive wounds or struggle marks supported suicide. The 2023 OIG report detailed why the injuries aligned with hanging, not strangulation.
Compounding doubts were severe MCC failures. Epstein was alone in his cell despite protocols requiring a cellmate after a prior incident. Guards falsified logs, skipping 30-minute checks for hours and sleeping on duty. Cameras malfunctioned, providing limited footage, though 2025-released video showed no unauthorized entry. Staffing shortages and negligence created opportunity, but investigations found no evidence of foul play.
Recent 2025 file releases, including thousands of documents, reaffirm suicide with no “client list” or murder proof. Yet procedural lapses and conflicting expert views keep conspiracy theories alive, underscoring mistrust in institutions guarding the powerful.
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