Nearly seven years after Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell, the questions still won’t die.
Officially, Epstein’s death is a suicide. But to this day, skeptics point to the weird timing, the chaos inside the facility, and the competing medical voices that erupted right after his body was discovered.
Now, the medical examiner who initially refused to check the “suicide” box is explaining what happened — and why she ultimately landed on the same conclusion that sparked endless conspiracy theories.
Epstein was found dead on August 11, 2019, while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
The next day, his autopsy was performed by Dr. Kristin Roman, a New York City medical examiner. Watching closely was famed forensic pathologist Michael Baden, brought in by Epstein’s brother, Mark, to observe on the family’s behalf.
Baden came away leaning toward homicide.
Roman didn’t commit either way at first.
Instead of marking the manner of death as “suicide” or “homicide,” Roman checked “pending further studies” — a move that left the door open and fueled immediate suspicion.
Five days later, Roman’s boss, New York City Chief Medical Examiner Barbara Sampson, officially ruled Epstein’s death a suicide after reviewing investigative information. The decision came with little public detail, and the online frenzy exploded.
A transcript from Roman’s interview during a Justice Department investigation later showed her reasoning: she says she wanted to be thorough before locking in the manner of death.
Roman described it as a situation where she wanted more context — not just what was on the autopsy table.
She said she wanted to see Epstein’s cell and talk to the staff who found him.
Her focus was basic but crucial: where he was hanging, how he was positioned, and whether the scene details matched what the body was showing.
In other words: before making it official, she wanted the full picture.
Roman noted there was a fracture to Epstein’s thyroid cartilage. She said it was in the area where pressure from the hyoid bone could occur, and that this was consistent with hanging.
She also referenced a noose made from bedsheets that was associated with the case.
Roman acknowledged she didn’t get everything she wanted. She said she wasn’t allowed to speak directly with employees or personally inspect the cell. But she did review photographs, and she maintains those materials didn’t change her conclusion.
Her final stance: suicide by hanging.
Baden still isn’t buying it
Even after Roman aligned with the suicide ruling, Baden reportedly stayed firm that it looked like homicide.
One of his issues: he said he didn’t see the noose during the autopsy itself, only photos later.
He also argued the marks on Epstein’s neck didn’t match what he would expect to see in a typical hanging.
Epstein’s brother: “They’re lying or incompetent”
Mark Epstein has also refused to accept the suicide ruling.
He previously blasted the findings and suggested the officials behind them were either lying, incompetent, or wrong — and he continues to insist his brother was murdered.
Newly highlighted documents also pointed to troubling details about the supervision on the morning Epstein died.
One correctional officer assigned to monitor him, Tova Noel, reportedly searched online for updates about Epstein while on duty — including a search for “latest on Epstein in jail” shortly before he was discovered.
Less than 40 minutes after the reported searches, another guard, Michael Thomas, allegedly found Epstein hanging in his cell.
When questioned under oath later, Noel denied looking Epstein up online and said she didn’t remember doing it.
And just like that, the story that never fully settled is back in the spotlight — with the official ruling unchanged, but the doubt louder than ever.
