The Official Autopsy
The New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, under Dr. Barbara Sampson, conducted the official autopsy on Jeffrey Epstein’s body. The autopsy was completed in the days following his August 10, 2019 death.
The Conclusion
Dr. Sampson concluded that the cause of death was suicide by hanging and so certified the death certificate. The manner of death was listed as suicide.
The Hyoid Bone Finding
The autopsy found fractures in Epstein’s hyoid bone and other neck structures. Dr. Sampson reportedly noted that while such fractures can occur in hangings, they are more common in strangulation. She nonetheless concluded suicide as the manner.
The Family’s Independent Pathologist
The Epstein family retained forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden to observe the autopsy on their behalf. Baden subsequently disputed the suicide conclusion, stating publicly that the injuries were more consistent with homicide by strangulation.
The Ongoing Dispute
The competing forensic interpretations official suicide versus Baden’s suggested homicide became central to the public debate about whether Epstein was murdered. No subsequent official investigation overturned Sampson’s suicide conclusion.