‘Not hanging’: Doctor who observed Epstein autopsy says neck injuries suggest strangulation

A forensic pathologist who attended Jeffrey Epstein’s post-mortem examination has called for a fresh investigation into the convicted financier’s death, saying the injuries found were more consistent with strangulation than suicide by hanging.

Dr Michael Baden, who observed Epstein’s autopsy on behalf of his family, said certain medical findings, including multiple neck fractures and injury patterns, differ from what he would normally expect in suicide cases. According to him, these differences raise serious questions about the official conclusion and warrant a renewed investigation.

Epstein was found dead inside his New York prison cell on August 10, 2019, while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. The New York Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death a suicide by hanging, a finding Dr. Baden continues to dispute.

What differences did Dr. Michael Baden highlight?

Speaking to The Telegraph, Dr. Baden said the injuries seen during the autopsy were unusual for a hanging death.

According to him, Epstein had three separate fractures in the neck — including one in the hyoid bone and two in the thyroid cartilage.

In his decades-long career, Baden said he had never seen three such fractures in a confirmed suicide by hanging.

He questioned whether the reported noose made from a bedsheet matched the injury marks found on Epstein’s neck.

The injury pattern, he argued, appeared more consistent with homicidal strangulation than self-inflicted hanging.

Baden also claimed that certain errors in handling the body may have led to loss of critical evidence.
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Who is Dr Michael Baden?

Dr Michael Baden is a well-known American forensic pathologist who has worked on several high-profile death investigations. In Epstein’s case, he attended the autopsy as an observer for the family but did not personally conduct the examination.

He has repeatedly questioned the official ruling since 2019, stating that the available medical evidence does not fully support suicide.

Jeffrey Epstein’s official cause of death

The New York Medical Examiner’s Office ruled Epstein’s death a suicide by hanging shortly after the incident. Then-chief medical examiner Dr Barbara Sampson has stood by that conclusion despite continued public speculation.

Epstein was reportedly found hanging near his cell bed around 6:30 am. Investigations later revealed several security lapses, including: Guards failing to conduct regular checks, surveillance cameras near the cell reportedly malfunctioning, CCTV footage containing a missing minute shortly before midnight.

A redacted version of Epstein’s post-mortem report later released by the U.S. Department of Justice showed the “manner of death” section marked as pending in that draft document.

Despite ongoing conspiracy theories surrounding the case, both the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice have said there is no evidence that Epstein was murdered, maintaining that he died by suicide.

However, Baden says that based on the injury differences and unanswered questions, a new review would be appropriate.