Deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein reportedly suffered injuries to his neck that are more common in homicides than suicides, according to the autopsy.
A report Wednesday evening in The Washington Post, citing “two people familiar with the [autopsy] findings,” said Epstein suffered multiple broken bones in his neck, including a break in the hyoid bone.
Citing “forensics experts and studies on the subject” of fatal neck injuries, The Post reported that breaks in the hyoid bone, which is near the Adam’s apple in men, do occur in suicides but occur more often in strangulation murders.
New York City Chief Medical Examiner Barbara Sampson finished the autopsy Sunday, a day after Epstein was found dead in his cell at a federal detention facility, where he was awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.
But the cause of his death was listed as pending and other officials have avoided directly calling Epstein’s death a suicide. For example, Attorney General William P. Barr called it an “apparent suicide.”
There have also been numerous irregularities in the handling and protection of Epstein, who once was on suicide watch, in the days and night leading up to his death.
Citing “people familiar with the autopsy,” The Post wrote that Ms. Sampson’s office is seeking information that would support or rebut a homicide — for example, video evidence of the jail hallways and a toxicology screening to determine whether Epstein might’ve been drugged.
The president of the National Association of Medical Examiners told The Post that pathologists who find a broken hyoid typically conduct further investigation.
Jonathan L. Arden, who The Post cautioned was speaking in generalities and had no involvement in the Epstein autopsy, said the issues to be investigated include the location of the noose, how narrow it is, and whether the hanging involved a significant drop.
“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,” he said, adding that the hyoid in older persons has hardened into a u-shape that can break more easily.
Epstein was 66.
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.
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