Deaths in Custody
Died in prison

Jeffrey Epstein

66 years old · died August 10, 2019 · Metropolitan Correctional Center, New York, New York County, New York

Jeffrey Epstein, 66, died on August 10, 2019, in his cell at the federally run Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan, where he was held in federal custody. The New York City Medical Examiner ruled his death a suicide by hanging, and the Justice Department agreed. Forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden, hired by his family and present at the autopsy, said the neck injuries and eye hemorrhages looked more like homicide, though he cautioned that his observations were not conclusive. A Justice Department inspector general report released in 2023 found that negligence and misconduct by Bureau of Prisons staff enabled his death, including guards who falsified logs and failed to check on him, and it found no evidence of foul play. His brother, Mark, has said he is concerned about what he sees as a lack of progress in the investigation.

Cause of death, as reported: Died by suicide (disputed; neglect alleged). The medical examiner ruled his death a suicide by hanging, but the family's pathologist, Dr. Michael Baden, said the neck injuries looked more like homicide, and a Justice Department inspector general found that guards falsified logs and failed to do the required checks.

Reported by: New York City Medical Examiner's Office (medical examiner or coroner); Dr. Michael Baden (autopsy hired by Epstein's family) (medical examiner or coroner); Bureau of Prisons (the agency that held him); Justice Department inspector general (outside investigators).

News reports (10)

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