Doctor who carried out Epstein post-mortem reveals why she didn’t initially rule it a suicide | EUROtoday

The physician who first examined Jeffrey Epstein’s physique revealed why she hesitated to find out that his demise was a suicide, in keeping with new paperwork.

Epstein was discovered lifeless inside a New York City jail cell on August 10, 2019, following his arrest on intercourse trafficking costs. Shortly afterward, officers dominated that Epstein died by suicide. But within the years since, a number of folks near him, together with his convicted confederate, Ghislaine Maxwell, and his brother, Mark Epstein, have stated they believed one thing else occurred.

Now, paperwork launched this yr underneath the Epstein Files Transparency Act have revealed why Dr. Kristin Roman, a New York City medical expert who carried out Epstein’s post-mortem a day after he was discovered lifeless, initially hesitated to rule that his demise was a suicide, Business Insider studies.

On Epstein’s demise certificates, slightly than deciding on “homicide” or “suicide” as his reason behind demise, Roman checked the “pending studies” field, in keeping with the outlet. Shortly afterward, Dr. Barbara Sampson, New York City’s chief medical expert on the time, dominated Epstein died by suicide.

Years later, Roman advised investigators she was “being thorough” by ready to formally rule on his reason behind demise, and that she was sure he hanged himself, in keeping with an interview transcript reviewed by Business Insider.

“If he had been a less high-profile person who there weren’t people wanting to kill, I would have probably called it a hanging on the day of autopsy,” she stated in the course of the May 2022 interview.

Roman reportedly stated she wished to talk to the officer who discovered Epstein’s physique and see his jail cell earlier than making her last willpower. While she wasn’t allowed to talk with correctional officers or view the cell, Roman stated she was nonetheless given pictures of the room.

She advised investigators that these limitations didn’t affect her discovering that Epstein died by suicide: “It would have been more for completeness rather than a big factor in making the determination.”

The Independent has contacted the New York City Chief Medical Examiner’s office for comment.

Seven years after Epstein’s death, theories have persisted that he was murdered. Dr. Michael Baden, a forensic pathologist hired by Epstein’s family, is among those who have maintained he died by homicide.

Sampson pushed back on Baden’s claims in October 2019, and said she stands “firmly behind our determination of the cause and manner of death for Mr. Epstein,” according to the Associated Press.

Baden and Epstein’s brother each advised Business Insider they nonetheless imagine Epstein was killed after reviewing Roman’s interview. Baden cited the three fractures present in Epstein’s neck, and stated they’re in keeping with strangulation.

The newest revelations concerning the post-mortem come simply months after Maxwell, who’s serving 20 years in jail for her function in Epstein’s intercourse trafficking operation, advised the Justice Department she doesn’t assume the financier died by suicide.

“I do not believe he died by suicide, no,” she stated in the course of the July 2025 interview.

When requested if she has any concept who would possibly’ve killed Epstein, Maxwell replied: “No, I don’t.”

The Epstein case continues to fascinate the nation and was given new curiosity when Trump promised to launch extra data throughout his marketing campaign. After initially saying there could be nothing additional launched when his administration returned to workplace, Trump relented and now officers have launched thousands and thousands of information associated to the investigation into the lifeless financier’s crimes underneath the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

This trove of paperwork included hundreds of emails, paperwork, pictures and movies, a lot of which referenced high-profile figures, together with President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly denied wrongdoing.

Appearing within the Epstein information doesn’t suggest wrongdoing, and Trump has not been formally accused of a criminal offense associated to the Epstein investigation.

If you or somebody you realize wants psychological well being help proper now, name or textual content 988, or go to 988lifeline.org to entry on-line chat from the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. This is a free, confidential disaster hotline that’s accessible to everybody 24 hours a day, seven days every week.

If you’re within the UK, you may converse to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), e-mail jo@samaritans.org, or go to the Samaritans web site to search out particulars of your nearest department. If you might be abroad, you may go to www.befrienders.org to discover a helpline close to you.