A prominent pathologist who observed Jeffrey Epstein’s autopsy has demanded a fresh investigation into the convicted sex offender’s death, maintaining that the available evidence supports the “possibility of homicide rather than suicide”.

Dr Michael Baden, a former New York City chief medical examiner, said that newly released documents have reinforced his long-held view that Epstein’s death in August 2019 needs further scrutiny.

Epstein was found dead in his jail cell while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, with authorities ruling the death a suicide by hanging.

“That was my opinion at that time, and I still stand by it,” Baden told The Telegraph, adding, “The autopsy findings are much more consistent with a crushing injury caused by homicidal strangulation than caused by hanging by suicide.”

Dr Baden attended the autopsy as an observer at the request of Epstein’s brother, Mark Epstein. According to the pathologist, both he and then-Chief Medical Examiner Barbara Sampson initially agreed that the findings were inconclusive and required additional information before determining the exact cause and manner of death.

He also argued that newly released materials indicate the initial cause of death had been marked as pending, suggesting investigators were waiting for more evidence. However, just five days later, the New York Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the death a suicide, a decision Baden termed “a surprise”.

“I have not seen any evidence of further study, nothing that indicated further investigation into the cause of death,” he said.

“My opinion is that his death was most likely caused by strangulation pressure rather than hanging,” Baden added.

The pathologist highlighted three fractures found in Epstein’s neck, claiming such injuries are uncommon in suicide by hanging. “Even one fracture, we have to investigate the possibility of a homicide. Two definitely warrant a full investigation,” he said. “Findings in textbooks never see those fractures, and neither have I.”

Baden also questioned whether the injuries were consistent with a bedsheet noose, as previously reported by officials, stating that the markings suggested a different type of material may have been involved.

“Given all the information now available, further investigation into the cause and manner of death is warranted,” he said.

Despite the ongoing debate, former chief medical examiner Barbara Sampson has repeatedly defended her office’s findings, maintaining that there was no evidence of strangulation and that Epstein’s death was a suicide — a conclusion accepted by authorities at the time.

An Indian man charged with orchestrating an unsuccessful Indian government-backed plot to kill a Sikh separatist in New York City pleaded guilty on Friday to three criminal charges, a spokesperson for the US Attorney’s Office in Manhattan said.

Nikhil Gupta, 54, pleaded guilty to murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carry a maximum combined sentence of 40 years in prison, the spokesperson said.

Gupta entered his plea before US Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn in Manhattan federal court.

Lawyers for Gupta were not immediately available for comment.

Gupta has been jailed in Brooklyn since his June 2024 extradition to the United States from the Czech Republic, where he had been arrested a year earlier.

He had pleaded not guilty immediately after his extradition.

US prosecutors accused Gupta of plotting with an Indian government official to kill Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a US resident and dual US-Canadian citizen who advocated for a sovereign Sikh state in northern India.

India’s government has dissociated itself from any plot against Pannun, saying it was against government policy.

The discovery of alleged assassination plots against Sikh separatists in the United States and Canada has tested relations with India, which has also denied involvement in such plots.

• Trump embraces potential regime change in Iran.
• Declines to share who he wants to lead Iran.
• Second US carrier sent to region.

US President Donald Trump on Friday embraced potential regime change in Iran and declared that “tremendous power” will soon be in the Middle East, as the Pentagon sent a second aircraft carrier to the region.

Trump’s military moves and tough talk come even as Washington and Tehran seek to revive diplomacy over Tehran’s long-running nuclear dispute with the West.

Asource briefed on the matter told Reuters that US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will hold negotiations with Iran on Tuesday in Geneva, with representatives from Oman acting as mediators. 

The source said Witkoff and Kushner will also meet officials from Russia and Ukraine on Tuesday in Geneva in the US drive to bring an end to the war in Ukraine.

Asked if he wanted regime change in Iran, Trump responded that it “seems like that would be the best thing that could happen.” He declined to share who he wanted to take over Iran, but said, “There are people.”

“For 47 years, they’ve been talking and talking and talking,” Trump said after a military event at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. “In the meantime, we’ve lost a lot of lives while they talk. Legs blown off, arms blown off, faces blown off. We’ve been going on for a long time.”

Washington wants nuclear talks with Iran to also cover the country’s ballistic missiles, support for armed groups around the region and the treatment of the Iranian people. Iran has said it is prepared to discuss curbs on its nuclear program in exchange for lifting sanctions, but has ruled out linking the issue to missiles.

Trump has threatened strikes on Iran if no agreement is reached, while Tehran has vowed to retaliate, stoking fears of a wider war as the US amasses forces in the Middle East. The US targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities in strikes last year.

When asked what was left to be targeted at the nuclear sites, Trump said the “dust.” He added, “If we do it, that would be the least of the mission, but we probably grab whatever is left.”

Long deployments

US officials described the complex process of moving military assets. The carrier Gerald R. Ford will join the carrier Abraham Lincoln, several guided-missile destroyers, fighter jets and surveillance aircraft that have been moved to the Middle East in recent weeks.

The Gerald R. Ford, the United States’ newest and the world’s largest carrier, has been operating in the Caribbean with its escort ships and took part in operations in Venezuela earlier this year.

Asked earlier on Friday why a second aircraft carrier was headed to the Middle East, Trump said: “In case we don’t make a deal, we’ll need it … if we need it, we’ll have it ready.”

One of the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the carrier would take at least a week to reach the Middle East.

The United States most recently had two aircraft carriers in the area last year, when it carried out strikes against Iranian nuclear sites in June.

With only 11 aircraft carriers in the US military’s arsenal, they are a scarce resource and their schedules are usually set well in advance.

In a statement, US Southern Command, which oversees US military operations in Latin America, said it would continue to stay focused on countering “illicit activities and malign actors in the Western Hemisphere.”

The Ford has essentially been at sea since June 2025. It was supposed to be operating in Europe before it was abruptly moved to the Caribbean in November.

While deployments for carriers usually last nine months, it is not uncommon for them to be extended during periods of increased US military activity.

Navy officials have long warned that long deployments at sea can damage morale on ships.

Officials said the administration had looked at sending a separate carrier, the Bush, to the Middle East, but it was undergoing certification and would take over a month to reach the Middle East.

The Ford, which has a nuclear reactor on board, can hold more than 75 military aircraft, including fighter aircraft like the F-18 Super Hornet jet and the E-2 Hawkeye, which can act as an early warning system.

The Ford also has sophisticated radar that can help control air traffic and navigation.

The supporting ships, such as the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser Normandy, Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers Thomas Hudner, Ramage, Carney, and Roosevelt, include surface-to-air, surface-to-surface and anti-submarine warfare capabilities.