The doctor who performed the autopsy on Jeffrey Epstein has explained her initial hesitation to immediately classify his death as a suicide, attributing it to the extraordinary public scrutiny and high-profile nature of the case.
Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender, was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York on August 10, 2019. The official cause of death was ruled suicide by hanging, a determination made by New York City’s chief medical examiner, Dr. Barbara Sampson, following a review of all available evidence.
The autopsy itself was conducted the following day, August 11, 2019, by Dr. Kristin Roman, a medical examiner with the New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner. In the immediate aftermath, Roman did not immediately conclude the manner of death on the death certificate, instead marking it as “pending studies” rather than selecting “suicide” or “homicide.”
A recently released transcript of a sworn interview with Dr. Roman, conducted under oath in May 2022 as part of a Justice Department investigation, has now been made public through the Epstein files. In the interview, Roman addressed her initial uncertainty and the reasons behind delaying a final classification.
Roman stated that she was “being thorough” in her approach. She emphasized that she was certain Epstein had died by hanging and ultimately supported the suicide ruling. However, she explained her caution stemmed from the case’s unique circumstances.
“If he had been a less high-profile person who there weren’t people wanting to kill, I would have probably called it a hanging on the day of autopsy,” Roman said.
The high level of public interest, widespread conspiracy theories, and intense speculation about foul play prompted her to wait for additional information, including further review of the scene, interviews with prison staff, and other investigative details before finalizing the manner of death.
This contrasts with views expressed by Dr. Michael Baden, a forensic pathologist hired by Epstein’s brother, Mark Epstein, to observe the autopsy. Baden has long argued that certain injuries—such as multiple fractures in the hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage—were more indicative of homicidal strangulation than suicidal hanging. Despite Baden’s observations and ongoing skepticism from some quarters, the official medical examiner’s office has maintained the suicide determination.
Roman’s comments, drawn from the newly public Epstein files (released under initiatives like the Epstein Files Transparency Act), underscore that her hesitation was driven by procedural diligence amid exceptional external pressure, rather than any fundamental doubt about the evidence pointing to suicide by hanging.
The release of this interview has reignited discussions about Epstein’s death, though it reaffirms the official findings while highlighting the challenges of handling such a scrutinized case.
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