I’d like to see you cite that detail. I have never before seen the claim that he hung himself on the 3 foot bed at ground level. Nor a news report, none the less the actual coroners report, claim “identical to a wire”.
Though from what I understand that sort of thing is fairly common with prison suicides, the person twists up the sheet. Ties it to the bed, and then essentially leans or weighs themselves into until they pass out. At which point their body weight takes care of the rest. There wouldn’t be anything odd about that unless you’re hung up the most literal interpretation of “hanging”.
Autopsy photos are out there. Warning Grisly here for the neck marks.. And they do not match what you just said.
More over this isn’t even the grounds on which the autopsy was challenged. The family hired a former medical examiner to observe the autopsy and reinterpret the coroner’s report.
His sticking point was the classic hyoid bone fracture in the throat, along with some breakage to the cartilage in the Adams apple and larynx. Supposedly fractures of the hyoid bone are rare in suicides, and some argue it’s evidence for homicide.
Problem is that’s an old idea, that’s been well debunked. Hyoid fractures have proven to be far more common in suicide than is often let on. And are in particular quite common in men over 40.
Michael Baden the pathologist hired by the family is controversial. To say the least.
He hasn’t been a working medical examiner for decades, and was the NYC medical examiner for all of 2 years in the 70’s. When the force was at it’s most corrupt. He was fired after complaints that he was sloppy, and uncooperative. And there are still questions about the cases he was involved with, and whether they were valid.
He does a lot of expert witness work, and he’s one of the few people still out there pushing the hyoid bone idea.
His basis for this is not the body of research on the subject. But a quick review of death records for NYC inmates that were ruled a suicide, purportedly done for his own report. He makes these claims in court, he doesn’t publish on them or research. And they’re always based on this brand new check of paper records, and carefully don’t mention the actual research.
He’s not a researcher or practicing pathologist for the most part. He mostly works in TV or as an expert witness.
He’s who you hire to dispute official findings.
He testified for OJ Simpson in his murder trial. And later had to disavow that testimony. It was that blatantly wrong. He also testified on behalf of Phil Spector, with some wild shit about a mystery killer. He’s currently involved with the Shannon Gilbert case, and pushing the angle that she was a Gilgo Killer victim which is completely specious. He produced a whole, brand new coroners report without actually seeing or directly examining any physical evidence or remains. Or really even seeing any of the documents. But you know at least he’s charging her family a fuck ton of money!
He’s just not credible in any fashion. And he pops up a lot. Like a lot a lot. If you have any interest in true crime at all you’ve come across dozens of instances of him muddying the water for pay. Over and over and over again provably wrong.
If all I knew about Jeffery Epstein was that Baden considered his death a homicide. I could tell you with 100% certainty it was a suicide.
The fact that he’s involved at all is a complete indictment of the concept.
