Professor to present Epstein findings that raise questions about whether he killed himself

A professor of forensic medicine who reviewed Jeffrey Epstein's autopsy records plans to present findings that call into question the official conclusion that the disgraced sex abuser's death by hanging was a suicide, according to Epstein's brother.

Michael Freeman, a professor who is editor-in-chief of the Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, plans to publish his research and the New York City Medical Examiner's autopsy files — which he obtained from Mark Epstein — after presenting his findings at the University College London on Nov. 16.

"The cause on Jeffrey's original death certificate — they further studied it in detail; this kind of study hasn't been done before," Mark Epstein said. "If this kind of study had been done before, they wouldn't have come up with a suicide conclusion."

Freeman's review highlights several details that make Epstein's death investigation "unique" for a suicide case, including that there were no photographs of Epstein's body at the scene of his death and the ligature used wasn't preserved or examined. Ligature refers to the rope or other material used to choke or bind a person. In Epstein's case, according to investigators, bed sheets were used.

Freeman performed "a biomechanical analysis" of the ligature pattern and reviewed what he described to CBS News as "images that show injuries unaccounted for by the medical examiner." For now, he has declined to describe his conclusions. The Times, a British newspaper, first reported on Freeman's planned presentation.

Freeman's review comes as the federal Epstein Files Transparency Act has fed a worldwide fascination with Epstein and his circle of elite, wealthy power players who socialized with him even as he became notorious for allegations of sexual abuse. Epstein died in jail in 2019, while facing federal charges for sex trafficking of minors.

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 had been filed and sealed in May 2021 as part of a murder case involving Epstein's former cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione. It was released in response to a filing by The New York Times.

The scrawled note appears to read: "They investigated me for month — found nothing!!! So 15 year old charges resulted." The note also includes the phrases "time to say goodbye" and "No fun — not worth it!!"

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