Jeffrey Epstein's Death 'Pending Further Information' Per NYC Medical Examiner

Autopsy results for Jeffrey Epstein are 'pending further investigation' according to a statement [...]

By Libby Birk

Autopsy results for Jeffrey Epstein are "pending further investigation" according to a statement from the New York City Medical Examiner's office. "Today, a medical examiner performed the autopsy of Jeffrey Epstein. The ME's determination is pending further information at this time," chief medical examiner Dr. Barbara Sampson said in the statement.

Sampson confirmed the presence of a private pathologist at the autopsy, per the request of Epstein's relatives, which she said was "a routine practice."

Epstein died Saturday in a Manhattan jail of suspected suicide two weeks after he was found injured in his cell with marks on his neck. Manhattan federal prosecutors charged Epstein in July with the sex trafficking of girls as young as 14 and the collection of child pornography.

A federal indictment unsealed on July 8 detailed that Epstein "sexually exploited and abused dozens of minor girls at his homes," in several locations, including Manhattan and Palm Beach, Florida. The indictment also alleges Epstein paid some victims to recruit additional victims.

He pleaded not guilty, but faced up to 45 years in prison if he had been convicted.

His death came a day after court records were unsealed in which Virginia Giuffre alleged that Epstein kept her as a teenage sex slave and force her to have sex and perform erotic massages on a number of powerful people, including Britain's Prince Andrew, former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and former U.S. senator George Mitchell. All three denied the accusations.

Reports claim that the guards assigned to Epstein's prison cell did not follow the proper protocol on the night of his death, with a source telling the Daily Mail that the guards may have been negligent. Two guards were reportedly supposed to make separate checks on him every 30 minutes, but the source said the rule was not followed overnight. In addition, the 66-year-old was on suicide watch from the time he entered the facility, which meant an additional check should have occurred every 15 minutes. He was reportedly removed from suicide watch on Friday night for unknown reasons.

While there is no credible evidence of foul play at this time, there will be a full investigation into Epstein's death by the FBI and the Inspector General.

Several of Epstein's accusers are not pleased that Epstein died just as the case against him was beginning to build. Attorney Lisa Bloom, who represents some of the accusers, tweeted that her clients "would have preferred he lived to face justice."

Bloom went on to state that Epstein's apparent suicide betrayed a "consciousness of guilt," inferring that the financier knew that he was guilty of these crimes and perhaps many more.

"But he knew. He knew he was guilty, and all his money would not prevent the inevitable conviction. He knew justice was coming and he could not face it," she wrote.

"Victims still deserve compensation for the devastation he inflicted on their lives. His estate must deliver justice to them," she said on MSNBC.

Finally, Bloom shared one of her clients' feelings in her own words after the broadcast was over. The attorney posted a screenshot of a note written on a phone, apparently by one of Epstein's accusers.

"I will never have a sense of closure now," she wrote. "I'm angry as hell that the prison could have allowed this to happen and that I and his other victims will never see him face the consequences for his horrendous actions."

"I hope that whoever allowed this to happen, also faces some type of consequence," she continued. "You stole from us, the huge piece of healing that we needed to move on with our lives."

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