Official Determination - Medical Examiner Rules Epstein Death Suicide
From: Office of Chief Medical Examiner, New York CityTo: Public Record
Official RulingSuicide DeterminationDr. Sampson
MEDICAL EXAMINER DETERMINATION
Decedent: Jeffrey Edward Epstein
Date of Death: August 10, 2019
Location: Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC), New York, NY
OFFICIAL DETERMINATION:
Cause of Death: Hanging
Manner of Death: Suicide
Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Barbara Sampson made the determination following an autopsy performed on August 11, 2019.
CIRCUMSTANCES:
- Epstein was found unresponsive in his cell at approximately 6:30 AM
- He had been removed from suicide watch on July 29, 2019
- Both guards assigned to his unit had failed to conduct required checks
- Surveillance cameras in the area malfunctioned
SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATIONS:
- DOJ Inspector General investigation into MCC procedures
- FBI investigation into circumstances surrounding death
- Two MCC guards charged with falsifying records (charges later dropped)
- Multiple congressional inquiries
The determination has been the subject of significant public debate and scrutiny.
Source: NYC OCME / Court Records
Available at: https://www.justice.gov/epstein
The Epstein Case in 2019
The year 2019 was the most consequential in the Epstein case. In July, Epstein was arrested by the FBI on federal sex trafficking charges in the Southern District of New York. He was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center on August 10, 2019, in a death ruled a suicide by the medical examiner but disputed by independent pathologist Dr. Michael Baden. The documents from 2019 are among the most extensive in the archive, including the indictment, bail hearing transcripts, autopsy reports, Bureau of Prisons records, and the beginning of the Maxwell investigation.
All 2019 documents in the timeline →