Expert to Unveil Evidence Casting Doubt on Epstein's Death Ruling
WHO:
CBS News - Michael Freeman is a professor at the Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine and the Netherlands' Maastricht University Medical Center.
CBS News - Michael Freeman, a professor and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine.
CBS News - Mark Epstein, brother of Jeffrey Epstein.
CBS News - Nicholas Tartaglione, a former police officer convicted of killing four people.
WHAT:
CBS News - Freeman's review highlights that there were no photographs of Epstein's body at the scene of his death, and the ligature used was not preserved or examined.
CBS News - Freeman stated, "The death can only be a suicide or a homicide, and the lecture will describe the weight (of) evidence for both explanations."
CBS News - Freeman plans to present findings that question the official conclusion of Epstein's death as a suicide.
CBS News - Freeman's research includes a biomechanical analysis of the ligature pattern and a review of injuries unaccounted for by the medical examiner.
CBS News - Epstein died in jail in 2019 while facing federal charges for sex trafficking of minors.
CBS News - A U.S. district judge ordered the release of a suicide note in May, which was filed and sealed in May 2021.
WHERE:
CBS News - The findings will be presented at University College London.
CBS News - Epstein died in jail in New York City.
WHEN:
CBS News - Freeman plans to present his findings on Nov. 16.
CBS News - Epstein died in 2019.
WHY:
CBS News - Mark Epstein believes that if a study like Freeman's had been conducted earlier, "they wouldn't have come up with a suicide conclusion."
CBS News - Mark Epstein believes his brother's death requires a deeper investigation, supported by Freeman's analysis.
CBS News - The Epstein Files Transparency Act, passed in 2025, required the Department of Justice to release investigative records into Epstein.
HOW:
CBS News - Freeman performed "a biomechanical analysis" of the ligature pattern and reviewed images showing injuries unaccounted for by the medical examiner.
CBS News - Freeman obtained the New York City Medical Examiner's autopsy files from Mark Epstein for his research.
CBS News - The ligature used in Epstein's death, reportedly bed sheets, was not preserved or examined.
(UPDATED October 3, 2026 19:50 UTC)
Michael Freeman, a professor at the Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine and Maastricht University Medical Center, has conducted a review regarding the circumstances surrounding Jeffrey Epstein's death. Freeman pointed out that there were no photographs of Epstein's body at the scene, and the ligature used was neither preserved nor examined, leading to a discussion on whether the death was a suicide or homicide. Mark Epstein expressed that had a study like Freeman's been done earlier, it might have prevented the conclusion of suicide from being reached.
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(UPDATED October 3, 2026 16:30 UTC)
Michael Freeman, a professor and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, is set to present findings at University College London on November 16 that challenge the official conclusion of Epstein's death as a suicide. His research includes a biomechanical analysis of the ligature pattern and a review of injuries that were not accounted for by the medical examiner, with support from Mark Epstein, who believes his brother's death warrants further investigation. Freeman obtained the New York City Medical Examiner's autopsy files for his research, revealing that the ligature reportedly made from bed sheets was neither preserved nor examined.