When news hit that shamed financier, Jeffrey Epstein had committed suicide while in prison awaiting trial, people were initially shocked. The fact that this child abuser would somehow manage to get away without ever facing up to his victims in court seemed a total miscarriage of justice, and the internet felt this was massively unfair.
But as more and more details of Epstein's death were leaked, things started to look not quite right. The man who has, in the past, claimed to be the President of the United States's "best friend" managing to end their own life while in prison on suicide watch? Things just weren't adding up. What started as a bunch of suspicious conspiracy theorists on Twitter, was escalated to the Federal Bureau of Investigations, in the hopes of providing the world with answers.
And now a leading forensic pathologist has further disputed the "suicide" story.
Let's start at the beginning of this complicated story.
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Jeffrey Epstein, born in New York City in 1953, made a name for himself with elite investment bank Bear Stearns, before founding his own investment firm. But now he's far better known for different reasons.He's now best known as a convicted sex offender.
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Epstein was first convicted for a range of sex crimes in 2005 when he pleaded guilty to molesting an underage girl.Epstein's crimes were far-reaching and varied.
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But by 2008 he was convicted of running an underage prostitution ring connected to a number of high powered individuals. Epstein served just thirteen months for this conviction.But this wasn't the end of his legal troubles.
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On July 6th of this year, Epstein was arrested again for sex trafficking of minors in the states of Florida and New York, and was held awaiting trial in a New York prison.Many were looking forward to justice being served.
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Epstein has managed to get away with vile, criminal acts for the majority of his life, most likely a result of his money and social clout. For his victims, there was finally hope of justice being done.Epstein has numerous friends in high places.
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And one of those friends is in one of the highest places possible - sitting in the Oval Office. Epstein had a long friendship with Donald Trump, and his convictions for these horrific crimes have not reflected well on the President.But it now looks as though justice will never be served.
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Because Epstein was then found dead in his Manhattan prison cell, apparently as a result of hanging.It was initially presumed that Epstein's death was a suicide.
But because of the nature of his crimes, plus the connections Epstein had to the political and social elite, some have other suspicions about what really happened.Here's some of the background information.
EPSTEIN FACTS 1) He told a journalist that for years he and Trump were "best friends" 2) He told a journalist he u… https://t.co/mFWbgjvqDK— Seth Abramson (@Seth Abramson)1565445916.0
This information has led the internet to theorize there may be more to Epstein's death.
When you turn on the news and see "JEFFREY EPSTEIN IS DEAD FROM APPARENT SUICIDE" ... https://t.co/g4myG7Nw00— Rob Jakatt (@Rob Jakatt)1565445733.0
There are many out there who will benefit by Epstein not standing trial.
And the fact that he has committed suicide before any unsavory information could come out does seem like some suspiciously good timing for his past associates.This has not gone unnoticed online.
I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but the death of Jeffrey Epstein is awfully convenient for a lot of awfully important people in high places.— CJ Pearson (@CJ Pearson)1565442443.0
But there is an undeniable connection.
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Whether what Epstein would have revealed could have hurt the President in any way or not, Trump will have a hard time denying that he and the convicted sex offender and child abuser were close personal friends. Not a great look.There were jokes on Twitter regarding Epstein's death.
@BernieSanders hey chill his best friend just died— evil woman (@evil woman)1565542917.0
Or this classic.
Based on boys from dating apps trying and failing to "comfort" depressed girls by telling them they're hot, many have offered the same words to Epstein.Conspiracy theorists tend to have something of a bad name.
I never subscribe to conspiracy theories but this is just ridiculous. Jeffrey Epstein was on suicide watch but some… https://t.co/i4HQmF2yRU— Eugene Gu, MD (@Eugene Gu, MD)1565443999.0
Oh, and that's not all.
Epstein reportedly attempted suicide shortly after his arrest in July and was found in his cell with injuries to his neck and totally unconscious. After the attempt, he had been placed on suicide watch.His suicide watch reportedly only lasted for six days.
And it was twelve days after this initial suicide watch ended that Epstein was found dead. This has led to many wondering why he wasn't being more closely monitored.Many can't see how he'd have managed to successfully attempt suicide.
Hey, did Jeffrey Epstein commit suicide? He was on suicide watch. Impossible. was he murdered by his rich and powerful freinds?— Norm Macdonald (@Norm Macdonald)1565444106.0
There appear to be a number of things that don't add up.
I’m with @AOC on this #Epstein mess. You don’t have to be a conspiracy theorist to see an evil coverup to protect l… https://t.co/NbUNX6XIic— Laurence Tribe (@Laurence Tribe)1565473893.0
And to make things even more bizarre?
It is unfathomable to me that a President of the United States would retweet this. Literally unfathomable. It would… https://t.co/tyNsIHVhN4— Neal Katyal (@Neal Katyal)1565476081.0
Many had this reaction.
This story really does bring a whole new light to the nature of truth - and the hierarchies of power. Even those who never go for conventional "conspiracy theories" can admit this is a little bit suspicious.And it isn't just the internet who have taken notice.
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In fact, officials are also investigating Epstein's death. Attorney general William Barr has said, "I was appalled to learn that Jeffrey Epstein was found dead early this morning from an apparent suicide while in federal custody. Mr. Epstein’s death raises serious questions that must be answered."Barr is determined to find a more satisfactory answer to the overarching questions.
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"In addition to the FBI’s investigation, I have consulted with the inspector general who is opening an investigation into the circumstances of Mr. Epstein’s death," he's said.The official cause of Epstein's death is still up in the air.
But one thing's for certain - it seems justice is still far away when it comes to Epstein's numerous victims. As Jennifer Araoz, allegedly raped by Epstein aged just fifteen, puts it, "I am angry Jeffrey Epstein won’t have to face the survivors of his abuse in court. We have to live with the scars of his actions for the rest of our lives, while he will never face the consequences of the crimes he committed the pain and trauma he caused so many people."And now Dr. Michael Baden, a former New York City medical examiner, has dropped a bombshell.
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He claims the autopsy following Epstein's death had signifiers suggesting a homicide, rather than a suicide.You may recognize Baden from HBO's Autopsy.
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He's examined over twenty thousand dead bodies in his time, which would lead you to think he knows what he's talking about.His claims revolve around particular fractures in Epstein's neck.
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“Those three fractures are extremely unusual in suicidal hangings and could occur much more commonly in homicidal strangulation," Baden claimed."I’ve not seen in 50 years where that occurred in a suicidal hanging case," he went on.
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And there are other reasons Baden suspects a homicide. “It was determined that the two guards who were supposed to be working in that area of the prison had allegedly fallen asleep and hadn’t made their 30-minute rounds for more than 3 hours," Baden continued.The security cameras had also supposedly malfunctioned.
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In any case, it seems the mystery of Epstein's death is far from being solved. "It doesn’t give you the answer," Baden concluded. "It's not a typical hanging case." Want to learn more about the mysterious Mr. Epstein? Scroll on to learn of the weirdest items police discovered in his Upper East Side apartment.