While many US corporate media outlets reached their own conclusion on Epstein’s August 10 death based off New York Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Barbara Sampson’s review, longtime New York City forensic pathologic Dr. Michael Baden disagreed and offered pertinent details about Epstein’s death and his view of Sampson’s determination.
“I think that the evidence points toward homicide rather than suicide because there are … three fractures in the hyoid bone and the thyroid cartilage that are very unusual for suicide and more indicative of … homicidal strangulation,” Baden, who was hired by Epstein’s brother to conduct a third-party investigation, told the hosts of Fox and Friends on Wednesday.
The medical examiner also told Fox News hosts that out of the 20,000 bodies that he’s examined in his 50-year career, he has never seen a case where these particular fractures took place as a result of hanging.
Despite this being counter to what the media ran with and reported, Baden argued that the medical examiner did not actually reach a full determination of suicide being Epstein’s manner of death.
“At the time of the autopsy, [Sampson] didn’t think there was enough information to say suicide, so she put it ‘pending further study,’” he asserted. Baden also pointed out that DNA results from the makeshift ligature Epstein reportedly used to hang himself have yet to be released. Similarly, nail clippings from the financier were also taken to determine if he put up a fight in a potential case of foul play, but these results also remain hidden from the public.
Baden said the aforementioned details “should be reported quickly to give an idea and lessen the speculation.”
However, it appears unlikely that any further details concerning Epstein’s death will be made completely public any time soon as Sampson was quick to respond to Baden’s comments.
“Our investigation concluded that the cause of Mr. Epstein’s death was hanging and the manner of death was suicide. We stand by that determination," she told Fox News on Wednesday. "We continue to share information around the medical investigation with Mr. Epstein's family, their representatives, and their pathology consultant.”
"The original medical investigation was thorough and complete," she added and doubled down on her previous comments by asserting "there is no reason for a second medical investigation by our office.”
Epstein was placed on suicide watch in July after he was found on his cell floor with marks around his neck, but the order was lifted a week later after the convicted sex offender was “evaluated by a doctoral-level psychologist who determined that a suicide watch was no longer warranted,” according to Department of Justice official Stephen E. Boyd.
He was later found dead in his cell at New York’s Metropolitan Correctional Center.
Despite the details suggesting Epstein was suicidal, a number of conspiracy theories concerning the financier’s death have turned up - mostly due to the guards’ breakdown in protocol, lack of video surveillance footage and Epstein being a key witness in an investigation that may have exposed sex crimes of several elite indidviuals worldwide.