Jeffrey Epstein is still making headlines six years after his death. The disgraced financier and convicted child sex offender’s death has been challenged by conspiracy theorists, who claim that prison surveillance footage outside Epstein’s cell is unreliable. Furthermore, his autopsy report has raised eyebrows. So, what really happened to Epstein when he died?
What was Jeffrey Epstein’s official cause of death?
Epstein’s official cause of death was ruled a suicide by hanging using a bedsheet, likely using the top bunk of his bed and throwing himself forward to hang, according to law enforcement. However, conspiracy theorists have challenged this.
On August 10, 2019, Epstein was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in New York City. The Bureau of Prisons said Epstein received life-saving measures immediately after he was found, and first responders took him to a hospital. He was pronounced dead that day.
The Justice Department’s inspector general’s investigation criticized prison guards and staff, alleging negligence, misconduct and job performance failures in Epstein’s death, according to multiple outlets.
On the night of Epstein’s death, prison staff failed to check on him every 30 minutes. The two guards assigned to Epstein’s cell fell asleep and were unable to check on him for about three hours. Furthermore, they falsified records to conceal their error, according to The New York Times .
What did Epstein’s autopsy report reveal?
Epstein’s autopsy report raised questions about his manner of death. Dr. Michael Baden was in Epstein’s autopsy room and raised questions about the fractures to his larynx and hyoid bone, calling them “extremely unusual in suicide accounts” and aligning them with “homicidal strangulation.”
“There is evidence here of homicide that must be investigated, to see whether or not it is homicide,” Baden said, per PBS . Medical examiner Dr. Barbara Sampson, who conducted the autopsy, said she stood “firmly” behind her findings of Epstein’s death.
Were there signs of foul play in Epstein’s injuries?
As Baden pointed out, injuries to the larynx (located between the throat and the trachea) and the hyoid bone (between the base of a person’s jaw and their third cervical vertebra) appeared to be signs of foul play.
However, this wasn’t Epstein’s first attempt at suicide. On July 23, 2019, weeks before his death, Epstein was found semi-conscious in his cell on the floor with bruises on his neck. He was placed on suicide watch. Less than a week later, prison officials removed him from the suicide watch and placed him in a special housing unit.
Did the prison surveillance malfunction work?
After conspiracy theorists claimed there was a one-minute gap in Epstein’s surveillance footage, the Justice Department released the footage in 2025. It only showed the exterior of Epstein’s cell the night he died, but no one was seen entering or leaving.
Who was Epstein’s cell phone partner and what did he say?
Epstein’s cellmate in July 2019 was former New York City police officer Nicholas Tartaglione, who was awaiting trial on four counts of murder. Tartaglione was not in the cell where Epstein died and has been cleared of any involvement in Epstein’s first apparent suicide attempt.
Epstein was supposed to have a cellmate with him after being transferred to a special housing unit. However, this did not happen.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-fals (8255).
