Getty Image / Patrick McMullan / Contributor
Convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein died on August 10, 2019, and the cause of death was ruled a suicide by hanging. However, months later, there are still many who believe in very feasible conspiracy theories that Epstein didn’t kill himself and that he was murdered. One of those people who is questioning Epstein’s death in a Manhattan jail cell is a renowned forensic pathologist.
Dr. Michael Baden has an impressive resume including examining more than 20,000 bodies, hosted HBO’s Autopsy that was based on his experience as a noted forensic pathologist for over 50 years, the chief medical examiner of New York City, Chief Forensic Pathologist for the New York State Police, testified at the trials of O.J. Simpson and Phil Spector, was hired to perform a private autopsy of New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, investigated the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., and was the chairman of the House Select Committee on Assassinations’ Forensic Pathology Panel that investigated the John F. Kennedy assassination.
The distinguished Dr. Baden does not believe that Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide and argues that the disgraced financier’s injuries appear to be the result of a homicide. Dr. Baden has put his focus on Epstein’s neck injuries, which he believes are highly telling of how Epstein died.
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Dr. Baden was hired by Epstein’s brother, Mark Epstein, to oversee Jeffrey’s autopsy. Dr. Baden said that Epstein had two fractures on the left and right sides of his larynx, the thyroid cartilage or Adam’s apple, plus a fracture on the left hyoid bone above the Adam’s apple. The famed forensic pathologist said that these injuries are more aligned with homicidal strangulation than suicidal hanging.
Dr. Michael Baden gave an exclusive interview to Fox & Friends on Wednesday and provided findings from his research on Jeffrey Epstein’s autopsy and cause of death.
“Those three fractures are extremely unusual in suicidal hangings and could occur much more commonly in homicidal strangulation,” Dr. Baden told Fox News. He added that the hemorrhages in Epstein’s eyes were more common in strangulation than in hangings.
“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,” Dr. Baden said.
When asked if there was any evidence that Epstein fought back against his potential attacker, Dr. Baden pointed out that examiners took fingernail clippings from Jeffrey to see if there was another person’s DNA, but those tests have not been released yet despite it being nearly three months since Epstein’s death.
Dr. Baden also notes that the tests to determine if the ligature that reportedly suffocated Epstein has not been released yet either. “The ligature was made out of torn strips of orange sheets, and whoever made it had to have a lot of DNA on it, and the brother’s been asking that from day one,” said Dr. Baden. He added that if the ligature had DNA on it, that it would be easy to track down the possible killer.
Dr. Baden also points out the extraordinary situations and coincidences before and during his death, including Epstein not being checked on for over three hours because both correctional officers fell asleep the night Jeffrey died when they are supposed to make rounds every 30 minutes.
“The video cameras didn’t work, both of the guards went to sleep,” Dr. Baden told Fox & Friends. “I’ve never seen it in 50 years of investigating all deaths that occur in prisons in New York state, I’ve never had two guards that have fallen asleep at the same time or the video doesn’t work. The issue would be, did somebody come in and cause his death?” There were two security cameras monitoring the area around Epstein’s cell, both allegedly malfunctioned.
Dr. Baden explained that “the great majority of people who commit suicide give warning signs.” Epstein’s lawyers said he was in a “good mood” during a meeting shortly before his death. The 66-year-old Epstein, who was facing federal sex-trafficking charges, was allegedly optimistic of being released on bail during meetings with his lawyers.
Even Epstein’s attorneys are skeptical that their client killed himself. Martin Weinberg, Reid Weingarten, and Michael Miller released a joint statement that read: “It is indisputable that the authorities violated their own protocols.”
“No one should die in jail,” Epstein’s lawyers said in the statement. “The defense team fully intends to conduct its own independent and complete investigation into the circumstances and cause of Mr. Epstein’s death including if necessary legal action to view the pivotal videos — if they exist as they should.”
When Epstein was first assaulted by a prison cellmate three weeks before his death, the prison claimed that Epstein had made a suicide attempt and was not attacked by his cellmate.
Guards found Epstein in the fetal position, unconscious, and had bruises around his neck inside his Manhattan’s Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) cell on July 23.
Epstein’s cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, is a former upstate New York police officer facing quadruple murder charges. Tartaglione, who is a hulking man with bulging muscles, was accused by Epstein of attacking him in the prison cell.
Jeffrey Epstein "told his lawyers that neck injuries he suffered in earlier suicide attempt at Metropolitan Correctional Center were inflicted by his hulking, ex-cop cellmate."-NYP. Nicholas Tartaglione charged with 4 counts of murder, he had a cell phone confiscated on July 3. pic.twitter.com/FOaq6GiUIp
— Paul Sacca (@Paul_Sacca) August 15, 2019
MCC prison officials ruled that Tartaglione did nothing wrong, and said Epstein attempted to commit suicide. The prison placed Epstein on suicide watch, put him in a special cell by himself, and was given 24-hour surveillance.
“His brother is concerned that if he was murdered, then other people who have information might be at risk, in jeopardy,” said Baden. “It’s not a typical hanging case.”
This isn’t the first time that experts have questioned Epstein’s cause of death. Studies and professionals have gone on record to state that hyoid damage was more common in a physical attack of strangulation than a suicidal hanging.
Jonathan Arden, president of the National Association of Medical Examiners, said: “If, hypothetically, the hyoid bone is broken, that would generally raise questions about strangulation, but it is not definitive and does not exclude suicidal hanging.”
Many conspiracy theories suggest that Epstein had ties to powerful people around the world from celebrities to royalty to politicians. Before Epstein’s death, he was awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges involving underage girls.
[FoxNews]