Pathologist to Present Epstein Autopsy Findings That Question Suicide Conclusion

A pathologist will present new findings that question whether Jeffrey Epstein killed himself in jail in 2019. Michael Freeman, professor and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, reviewed Epstein’s autopsy records and plans to publish his research along with the New York City Medical Examiner’s files after his presentation at University College London on Nov. 16.

The Times, a British publication, was the first to report on Freeman’s planned presentation. He has not yet described his conclusions before the lecture.

What Freeman Found

Freeman’s review notes several gaps in the official record:

1. There were no photographs of Epstein’s body at the scene of his death.
2. The ligature used was not preserved or examined.
3. Bed sheets were used as the ligature, according to investigators.
4. He performed a biomechanical analysis of the ligature pattern.
5. He reviewed images showing injuries unaccounted for by the medical examiner.

Freeman said the lecture “will describe the weight of evidence for both explanations.”

Epstein’s Brother Reacts

On Friday, Mark Epstein told CBS News that a deeper investigation was needed into Freeman’s analysis bolstered his belief that his brother’s death. He also defended the study’s independence.

“They looked at this whole thing, they looked at it scientifically, they truly investigated this,” Mark Epstein said.

He added that point, “If this kind of study had been done before, they wouldn’t have come up with a suicide conclusion,”.

Mark Epstein said “This report was not done on my behalf, they did this on their own volition,”.

The Suicide Note

In May, a U.S. district judge ordered the release of an apparent suicide note from an incident less than a month before Epstein’s death. The note was filed and sealed in May 2021 as part of a murder case involving Epstein’s former cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione.

A man who once served as a police officer and was later convicted of killing four people said in a podcast interview that he discovered the note inside a book the day after Epstein died, then handed it over to his lawyers.

The document contains a quotation that begins with “They investigated me for month — found nothing!!! So 15 year old charges resulted.”. Alongside it, two other expressions appear: “time to say goodbye” and “No fun — not worth it!!”.

CBS News has not independently verified the note.

The Case Against Epstein

While facing federal charges for sex trafficking of minors, Epstein died in jail. In response, Congress passed the Epstein Files Transparency Act in 2025, which instructed the Department of Justice to make public its investigative records.

The Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine is where Freeman teaches, while he also works for the Netherlands’ Maastricht University Medical Center. His previous work includes advising an audit of Maryland’s medical examiner office.

What This Means

Freeman’s complete findings will receive their first public airing at University College London on Nov. 16, ahead of a planned publication of both his research and the autopsy files.

The official finding that Epstein took his own life has been challenged by Freeman’s review, which raises questions about it.

Source material: “Pathologist to present findings questioning whether Epstein killed himself,” CBS News.

autopsy · forensic pathology · Jeffrey Epstein · medical examiner · suicide