The death of Jeffrey Epstein has led to many conspiracy theories debating whether his death was by suicide or murder. Due to the evidence and scenarios, the public will never know the full truth. It’s hard to determine how he truly died, but based on the facts and evidence, it seems suicide makes the most sense for the cause of his death.
I find it very interesting that while Epstein was held in the Manhattan Correctional Center, he was placed on suicide watch after he was found semiconscious in his cell with marks on his neck, according to CNBS writers, Dan Mangan and Kevin Breuninger. This could have been his first attempt at committing suicide. A week later on July 29, Epstein’s lawyers requested to have him taken off suicide watch. Almost two weeks after, on Aug. 10, Epstein was found dead in his cell. According to the autopsy, it doesn’t seem to be a coincidence that his death looks like a suicide. Mangan and Breuninger explain that Epstein had broken his hyoid, which is common in cases where hanging is the cause of death. It is especially common in older men because over time the hyoid hardens in a U-shape, which makes it easier to break.
I believe it’s coincidental that on the night of his death the officers failed to properly monitor Epstein and the surveillance cameras were not working. Although it was the officers responsibility to keep guard, I would not point fingers at them. According to Chas Danner, Margaret Hartmann and Matt Stieb of New York Magazine in “Everything We Know About Jeffrey Epstein’s Death,” the officers on duty were not working their normal shifts, and they were working overtime due to the shortage of employees that night. The time the officers were absent from their duty could be caused from lack of sleep. Without the surveillance footage, it makes it even more difficult to know for sure what truly happened.
Epstein and his lawyers are intelligent individuals. Looking deeply into the situation Epstein was in, it was evident there was no way out for him. Even if Epstein had called out any names, it wouldn’t have changed the outcome because he would still be guilty of his charges. For a billionaire who owns an island and a private jet, Epstein knew what was coming. He realized that death would be better than living in jail. It makes sense for his lawyers to take him off suicide watch to give him the ability to pull the plug himself in order to escape his own mess. In the case of Epstein’s death, he is the only one who benefits from it, so why would anyone want to kill him? Although the victims who are accusing him may be relieved because of his death, they are still the ones who lost because they couldn’t get the justice they deserve.
Mangan, dan. “Jeffrey Epstein’s Lawyers Highly ‘Skeptical’ of Suicide Ruling, Say He Wasn’t ‘Despairing, Despondent’ before Death.” CNBC, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2019, www.cnbc.com/2019/08/27/jeffrey-epsteins-lawyers-skeptical-of-suicide-ruling.html.
Danner, Chas, et al. “Everything We Know About Jeffrey Epstein’s Death.” Intelligencer, 19 Aug. 2019, http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/08/jeffrey-epstein-dies-by-suicide-report.html.
Written by: Iman Rashid
Grace Chaves 
Noah Shaw