Epstein's cause of death remains undetermined following autopsy as medical examiner seeks 'further information'
Although a day and a half has elapsed since billionaire investor and accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, 66, was found unresponsive in his federal jail cell in lower Manhattan, New York, on August 10, medical experts have yet to officially confirm his cause of death.
On Sunday, Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Barbara Sampson, said that her team had completed the autopsy on Epstein but they would need "further information" to determine the cause of his death beyond a reasonable doubt.
“Today, a medical examiner performed the autopsy of Jeffrey Epstein,” Sampson in a statement. “The ME’s determination is pending further information at this time. At the request of those representing the decedent, and with the awareness of the federal prosecutor, I allowed a private pathologist (Dr. Michael Baden) to observe the autopsy examination. This is routine practice.”
She also clarified that her office will not be commenting on the allegations surrounding the deceased, leading up to his death.
“My office defers to the involved law enforcement agencies regarding other investigations around this death. Inquiries regarding the determination of the Chief Medical Examiner should be directed towards my office," the statement added.
The New York Post quoted sources as saying that the medical examiner will determine the official cause of death by next week.
As of yet no foul play is being suspected and the presumed cause of death remains suicide by hanging, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the investigation who spoke to NBC News.
Attorney General William Barr said on Saturday that he was "appalled to learn that Jeffrey Epstein was found dead" while in federal custody, adding that the Justice Department's inspector general was opening an investigation into the matter.
A senior law enforcement official with the FBI told NBC News that the agency had opened an investigation into the Epstein death although probing suicides that occur at a federal Bureau of Prisons facility was outside its jurisdiction.
This particular case was being regarded as an exception given its unusual nature and hence was being looked into out of an "abundance of caution."
Although Epstein was placed on a suicide watch - which requires prison guards to check on inmates every 15 minutes - following an earlier attempt to take his own life, he received an all-clear after undergoing a psychiatric evaluation on or about July 29, after which he was removed from the watch returned to a cell in the Special Housing Unit. There were also reports of prison guards who were on duty at the time, failing to check up on Epstein for hours because they were working overtime shifts to make up for staffing shortages.
Another mysterious detail was the fact that all the cameras in the wing inhabited by the convicted pedophile at the Metropolitan Correctional Center were incidentally pointed towards areas outside the cells. As a result, there’s no footage of Epstein taking his own life.
Meanwhile, Epstein's victims were disappointed after hearing the news of his death, as they preferred that the perpetrator was tried in the court.
"I am angry Jeffrey Epstein won't have to face his survivors of his abuse in court," Jennifer Araoz, who accused Epstein of raping her when she was 15, said in a statement. "Epstein is gone, but justice must still be served. I hope the authorities will pursue and prosecute his accomplices and enablers, and ensure redress for his victims."