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Seven years on from the mysterious death of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, conspiracy theories surrounding the circumstances of his death continue to swirl.
asserted
theories → see → death
The official ruling is that the convicted paedophile died by suicide after hanging himself in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York.
Yet many remain convinced that he was murdered, with a series of unexplained circumstances continuing to fuel questions over what really happened.
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what → convict → questions
Now, a harrowing new documentary exploring Epstein's crimes, his inner circle and the aftermath of his death has revisited some of those unanswered questions, with several key figures offering details that they say cast doubt on the official account.
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they → explore → account
The new ABC documentary, which premiered on HBO Max on September 3, sees award-winning reporter Grace Tobin examine theories surrounding his demise.
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Tobin → premier → demise
Among those interviewed is David Schoen, Epstein's lawyer at the time of his death.
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Schoen → interview → death
Schoen spoke to Epstein nine days before he died, following an alleged earlier suicide attempt that Epstein denied.
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Epstein → speak → that
‘He denied that he had tried to commit suicide.
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he → deny → suicide
The story that he told about what had happened was that the cellmate had forced him to put a rope around his neck and pulled it just to see the reaction Epstein would have.
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Epstein → tell → reaction
The official ruling is that Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide in his jail cell
Among those interviewed is David Schoen, Epstein's lawyer at the time of his death
'But he told the correctional officers that he couldn't remember what had happened because he was afraid if he got that guy in trouble that he would have trouble himself,‘ Schoen said.
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Schoen → die → trouble
Schoen said Epstein had been unhappy in jail but remained determined to fight the sex trafficking case against him.
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Epstein → say → him
The fact that he wanted to fight this case until the day before he died says to me that it's unlikely he committed suicide.'
Epstein was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges when he was found dead in his prison cell, with his death quickly becoming mired in mystery and speculation.
The two guards responsible for monitoring him, who had been assigned to his cell following the earlier alleged suicide attempt, reportedly fell asleep and failed to check on him for around three hours.
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who → want → hours
At the same time, cameras outside his cell malfunctioned.
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cameras → malfunction → cell
In 2023, the US Department of Justice concluded that there had been 'job performance failures' by prison officials, but maintained that Epstein had died by suicide.
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Epstein → conclude → suicide
Even so, questions over the official account have persisted, with some arguing that Epstein's knowledge of his powerful connections could have given others a motive to silence him.
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knowledge → persist → him
Another key figure interviewed in the documentary is Michael Baden, the forensic pathologist who examined Epstein's body after his death.
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who → interview → death
Baden said he had been asked to attend the autopsy the following day.
'
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he → say → autopsy
The history was that he was found having committed suicide by hanging in his jail cell.
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he → find → cell
There was a little odd situation there because the ligature furrow around the neck was horizontal.
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furrow → be → neck
In a suicidal hanging, the ligature mark is usually up the high part of the neck and goes upwards.
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mark → go → neck
There were three fractures, two of the thyroid cartilage, which is the Adam's apple.
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which → be → cartilage
In 50 years of doing this, I've never seen that.
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I → do → that
'That's [a] much more common crushing injury in homicidal strangulation.
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That → crush → strangulation
So I think at that point there was concern as to whether it was suicide as thought or not.'
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it → think → point
Schoen explained that the medical examiner of New York City who conducted the autopsy said that it was inconclusive - she couldn't say for certain that it was suicide.
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it → explain → autopsy
'But then her boss three or four days later changed it to suicide,' Baden added.
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Baden → change → suicide
Even Epstein's brother, Mark, has publicly said he believes the financier was killed.
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financier → say → ?
'I believe he was murdered.
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he → believe → ?
And if they do a real investigation and they talk to the right people, they could figure out what actually took place,' he told Tobin.
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he → do → Tobin
In the film, political scientist Joe Uscinski, who has studied conspiracy theories for 15 years, said he polled Americans about Epstein's death and found that the belief he may not have died by suicide was a common opinion.
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he → study → suicide
'Half the country thought it was a conspiracy that he was killed by people who were trying to cover up their involvement with him.
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who → think → him
'And you don't normally get conspiracy theories getting half the country to buy in,' he said.
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he → get → ?
Joe Uscinski, who has studied conspiracy theories for 15 years, said he polled Americans about Epstein's death and found the belief he may not have died by suicide was common
Lisa Phillips, an Epstein survivor, speaks during a news conference with lawmakers on the Epstein Files Transparency Act
Even some of Epstein's victims believe he did not kill himself, including Lisa Phillips, a model who met the disgraced financier on his island while she was in the area for a photoshoot.
'I believe he always thought he was going to get out of it,' she said.
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she → study → it
Phillips met Epstein in the year 2000, when he quickly took an interest in her modelling career, as well as her aspirations and dreams.
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he → meet → career
The night they met, he sexually abused her for the first time under the guise of getting a massage from her, she recounted in the documentary.
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she → meet → documentary
After she returned home, Phillips said Epstein called her and arranged a meeting with a Ford modelling agent, before beginning to send her to auditions.
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Epstein → return → auditions
‘I was abused by him again and through his connections, or he would send me on auditions.
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he → abuse → auditions
But back then I wasn't aware that I was trafficked.
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I → traffic → ?
So it's like, oh my friend is casting a really big film right now.
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friend → cast → film
And you're sent somewhere where all of a sudden you're propositioned for sex and the people around you are enforcing it.
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people → send → it
Just thought it was the business.'
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it → think → ?
…and 40 more, not listed.
