A well-known pathologist who examined Jeffrey Epstein’s autopsy has called for a new investigation into the convicted sex offender’s death, asserting that the evidence points toward the possibility of homicide rather than suicide.
Dr. Michael Baden, a former chief medical examiner in New York City, stated that recently released documents have strengthened his longstanding belief that Epstein’s death in August 2019 warrants further review.
Epstein was discovered dead in his jail cell while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, with officials officially ruling his death as a suicide by hanging.
“That was my opinion at the time, and I still hold it,” Baden told The Telegraph. “The autopsy results align more closely with a crushing injury caused by homicidal strangulation rather than a standard hanging.”
Baden attended Epstein’s autopsy as an observer, at the request of Epstein’s brother, Mark Epstein. He explained that initially, both he and then-Chief Medical Examiner Barbara Sampson agreed the findings were inconclusive and needed additional information before pinning down the exact cause and manner of death.
He also pointed out that newly released documents suggest the initial cause of death was listed as pending, indicating investigators were awaiting more evidence. Yet, just five days later, the New York Medical Examiner’s Office officially declared Epstein’s death a suicide—a decision Baden described as “a surprise.”
“I haven’t seen any evidence of further study or additional investigation into his cause of death,” Baden remarked.
He emphasized that the injuries found in Epstein’s neck, including three fractures, are uncommon in suicide cases involving hanging. “Even a single fracture warrants investigation into homicide, and two or more definitely call for a thorough inquiry,” he explained. “Textbooks rarely cite such fractures in hanging, and I’ve never seen them in my experience.”
Baden also questioned whether the injuries were consistent with a bedsheet noose, as previously reported, suggesting that the marks on Epstein’s neck indicated a different material might have been involved.
“Given all the information now accessible, further probing into how and why Epstein died is justified,” he concluded.
Meanwhile, Barbara Sampson, Epstein’s former chief medical examiner, has consistently defended her office’s findings, maintaining there was no evidence of strangulation and affirming that Epstein’s death was a suicide—viewpoint that was accepted at the time by authorities.