A famed forensic pathologist with more than 50 years of experience in his profession observed accused sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein’s autopsy at the request of the dead sex offender’s brother. He says that, based on what he knows right now, the evidence of Epstein’s death was more consistent with homicidal strangulation than suicidal hanging.
Dr. Michael Baden joined Fox & Friends on Wednesday morning and said that in all of his 50 years-plus examining dead bodies he has never seen a suicidal hanging case where the individual had two fractures in the thyroid cartilage and a fracture in the hyoid bone.
“Those three fractures are extremely unusual in suicidal hangings and could occur much more commonly in homicidal strangulation,” he said. “I’ve not seen in 50 years where that occurred in a suicidal hanging case.”
RELATED: Never Before Seen Autopsy Photo of Jeffrey Epstein’s Broken Bones Released
The Medical Examiner, after reviewing Epstein’s death, ruled that Epstein died by suicidal hanging. Baden noted that the examiner didn’t believe there was enough information at first to rule the death a suicide, and listed it as “pending further study.” Baden said Epstein’s brother wants to know why the determination was changed from “pending further study.” At the autopsy, Baden said, medical examiners weren’t sure what happened.
Nor was that the only question Baden raised, per Fox News:
There were also hemorrhages in Epstein’s eyes that were common in homicidal strangulation and uncommon, though not unheard of, in suicidal hangings, the forensic pathologist said.
“The prominent hemorrhage in the soft tissues of the neck next to the fractures is evidence of a fresh neck compression that could have caused the death,” Baden said.
Raising even more suspicions, Epstein was taken off of suicide watch after a possible suicide attempt, prison video outside of Epstein’s cell was “unusable,” the two guards on duty were supposedly asleep when Epstein’s death occurred and those guards were suspected of falsifying prison logs to cover up their mistake.
Baden said, however, that it’s not possible for his independent study to come to a definitive conclusion because there’s crucial information he doesn’t possess, including any DNA evidence that may have been on Epstein’s clothing or on the bed sheet ligature that was used.
You can watch the interview in the player below:
It’s not the first time that a medical expert has said that Epstein’s death was more likely a homicide.
[Image via US Marshals Service]
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