PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "The release of CCTV footage from the night Epstein died led to rampant speculation over a mysterious “missing minute” of video in the recording, prompting theories someone entered the paedophile’s cell undetected. In another clip from that night, an orange “flash” can be seen moving up the stairwell leading to his remote prison cell. Documents revealed authorities were in disagreement about the flash, saying it may have “possibly” been an inmate. In light of new developments, Dr Baden maintains that further examination into the paedophile’s cause of death should be undertaken."
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PASSAGE TWO OF THE DAY: "Dr Baden makes clear that his professional findings following the post mortem on Aug 11 2019, were “inconclusive”. However, he claims that five days after Epstein’s death certificate was published pending further investigation of the cause, this decision was “superseded” by Dr Barbara Sampson, New York’s then-chief medical examiner. She ruled that Epstein’s death was by hanging and the manner was suicide. Dr Sampson was not present during the post mortem examination, according to Dr Baden.
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PASSAGE THREE OF THE DAY: "Dr Baden was one of the first people to raise concerns over the ruling. In August 2019, he told Fox News that “the evidence points toward homicide rather than suicide”. Speaking to The Telegraph, Dr Baden said: “That was my opinion at that time, and I still stand by it. The autopsy findings are much more consistent with a crushing injury caused by homicidal strangulation than caused by hanging by suicide. The FBI and Donald Trump’s justice department have both stated that Epstein killed himself and that there is no evidence he was murdered."
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PASSAGE FOUR OF THE DAY: "Similarly, in Epstein’s case, the doctor’s findings have been dismissed by officials, but still resonate with many who question how such a high-profile inmate on suicide watch managed to kill himself in his cell. And although the circumstances of his death have been examined, the actual cause has never been revisited. The guards on duty also failed to check on Epstein for hours, despite being required to do so every 30 minutes, while two cameras near his cell either were not working or failed to record. According to the official report, a noose made of an orange bedsheet collected at the scene was later determined not to be one used in Epstein’s death. Dr Baden said he had noticed this during the post mortem and was concerned at the time that “the noose didn’t match the [injury]”.
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PARAGRAPH FIVE OF THE DAY: "Dr Baden also cited the unorthodox handling of the crime scene, saying that critical evidence was lost because of mistakes made with the handling of Epstein’s body.\“[They] moved the body, guards refused to say how the body was found, and he was moved to the infirmary,” he said, which he claims is a “highly unusual” move. Most importantly, Dr Baden says, Epstein’s time of death was “lost”. Such evidence, he said, might have definitively helped rule out if his death was murder."
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STORY: "I witnessed Epstein’s post mortem. His death must be reinvestigated," by Pathologist Dr. Michael Baden," by Telegraph Foreign Breaking News Reporter Iona Cleave, published on February 14, 2026.
SUB-HEADING: "In an interview with The Telegraph, Dr Michael Baden raises questions about paedophile’s suicide."
GIST: "Dr Michael Baden is unconvinced by the finding of the New York Medical Examiner’s Office that the financier took his own life while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges in 2019.
“My opinion is that his death was most likely caused by strangulation pressure rather than hanging,” the pathologist, who was hired by Epstein’s estate, told The Telegraph.
He said: “Given all the information now available, further investigation into the cause and manner of death is warranted.”
Dr Baden did not carry out the post mortem but was present during the examination, acting as an observer on behalf of Epstein’s family.
“At the time that the autopsy was done by the medical examiner, we both agreed that, on the basis of the autopsy report and the information available, more information was needed to determine the cause and manner of death,” Dr Baden said.Since then, the release of tranches of government files relating to the paedophile have raised further questions about the nature of his death.
The release of CCTV footage from the night Epstein died led to rampant speculation over a mysterious “missing minute” of video in the recording, prompting theories someone entered the paedophile’s cell undetected.
In another clip from that night, an orange “flash” can be seen moving up the stairwell leading to his remote prison cell. Documents revealed authorities were in disagreement about the flash, saying it may have “possibly” been an inmate.
In light of new developments, Dr Baden maintains that further examination into the paedophile’s cause of death should be undertaken.
A redacted version of Epstein’s post mortem examination was released in December as part of the justice department’s first release of the so-called Epstein files.
In it, the child sex offender’s “manner of death” is marked as “pending”. Boxes for both suicide and homicide are left blank.
Dr Baden makes clear that his professional findings following the post mortem on Aug 11 2019, were “inconclusive”.
However, he claims that five days after Epstein’s death certificate was published pending further investigation of the cause, this decision was “superseded” by Dr Barbara Sampson, New York’s then-chief medical examiner.
She ruled that Epstein’s death was by hanging and the manner was suicide. Dr Sampson was not present during the post mortem examination, according to Dr Baden.
She has publicly dismissed his claims that the evidence suggested strangulation, at the time saying she stands “firmly” behind her finding.
Epstein’s lawyers, meanwhile, argued that Dr Baden’s concerns were consistent with their own and that they were “not satisfied” with the medical examiner’s findings.
“I have not seen any evidence of further study, nothing that indicated further investigation into the cause of death,” Dr Baden said, adding that Dr Sampson’s verdict was just “accepted”.
“The diagnosis was made a number of days after the first cause of death given,” he said. In unusual or highly suspicious cases it can sometimes take weeks or months to determine the cause of death.
Dr Baden was one of the first people to raise concerns over the ruling. In August 2019, he told Fox News that “the evidence points toward homicide rather than suicide”.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Dr Baden said: “That was my opinion at that time, and I still stand by it. The autopsy findings are much more consistent with a crushing injury caused by homicidal strangulation than caused by hanging by suicide.”
The FBI and Donald Trump’s justice department have both stated that Epstein killed himself and that there is no evidence he was murdered.
The official post mortem report lists three distinct fractures on Epstein’s neck: one on the left hyoid and one in the thyroid cartilage on the right side, and one on the left.
Dr Baden claimed that he had never seen a hanging by suicide with three neck fractures throughout the 50 years he was employed to review post mortem reports for inmate deaths in all New York state and local jails.
“Even one fracture, we have to investigate the possibility of a homicide. Two definitely warrant a full investigation,” he said. “Findings in textbooks never see those fractures, and neither have I.”
Dr Sampson disagreed with this, saying that fractures of the hyoid bone and the cartilage were seen in both suicides and homic
Dr Baden, 91, has worked on a number of high-profile cases. In 1995, he gave evidence during the trial of OJ Simpson, suggesting he was innocent.
The football star was accused of murdering his wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman.
Dr Baden later disavowed the claims he made. Simpson was acquitted at trial but was later found liable for the pair’s deaths following a wrongful death suit. He was ordered to pay $33.5m (£24.5m) to the victims’ families.
Dr Baden also worked on investigations into the assassinations of both Martin Luther King and John F Kennedy. In 2020, he was hired by the family of George Floyd to perform a post mortem exam.
His findings conflicted with the official report, suggesting Floyd did not have any underlying health problems that contributed to his death by suffocation after a police officer knelt on his neck.
Similarly, in Epstein’s case, the doctor’s findings have been dismissed by officials, but still resonate with many who question how such a high-profile inmate on suicide watch managed to kill himself in his cell.
And although the circumstances of his death have been examined, the actual cause has never been revisited.
The guards on duty also failed to check on Epstein for hours, despite being required to do so every 30 minutes, while two cameras near his cell either were not working or failed to record.
According to the official report, a noose made of an orange bedsheet collected at the scene was later determined not to be one used in Epstein’s death.
Dr Baden said he had noticed this during the post mortem and was concerned at the time that “the noose didn’t match the [injury]”.
“It wasn’t smooth like the sheet, the markings [on Epstein’s neck] would have required a different type of material,” he said.
Dr Baden also cited the unorthodox handling of the crime scene, saying that critical evidence was lost because of mistakes made with the handling of Epstein’s body.\“[They] moved the body, guards refused to say how the body was found, and he was moved to the infirmary,” he said, which he claims is a “highly unusual” move.
Most importantly, Dr Baden says, Epstein’s time of death was “lost”.
Such evidence, he said, might have definitively helped rule out if his death was murder.
The Telegraph has contacted the New York City medical examiner’s office for comment.""
The entire story can be read at;
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/02/13/epstein-post-mortem-results-suicide/
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue/resource. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at: http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com. Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog.
SEE BREAKDOWN OF SOME OF THE ON-GOING INTERNATIONAL CASES (OUTSIDE OF THE CONTINENTAL USA) THAT I AMFINAL WORD: (Applicable to all of our wrongful conviction cases): "Whenever there is a wrongful conviction, it exposes errors in our criminal legal system, and we hope that this case — and lessons from it — can prevent future injustices."
Lawyer Radha Natarajan:
Executive Director: New England Innocence Project;
FINAL WORD: (Applicable to all of our wrongful conviction cases): "Whenever there is a wrongful conviction, it exposes errors in our criminal legal system, and we hope that this case — and lessons from it — can prevent future injustices."
Lawyer Radha Natarajan:
Executive Director: New England Innocence Project;
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FINAL, FINAL WORD: "Since its inception, the Innocence Project has pushed the criminal legal system to confront and correct the laws and policies that cause and contribute to wrongful convictions. They never shied away from the hard cases — the ones involving eyewitness identifications, confessions, and bite marks. Instead, in the course of presenting scientific evidence of innocence, they've exposed the unreliability of evidence that was, for centuries, deemed untouchable." So true!
Christina Swarns: Executive Director: The Innocence Project;
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