Suicide or Murder?

Jeffery Epstein's death has been fodder for conspiracy theories.  No sooner had the man been arrested than there were claims - half in jest - that he would not survive to trial.  He had dirt on too many rich and powerful people.  Less than a month after his arrest, he was found barely conscious on the floor with bruising on his neck.  Failed suicide?  No determination was made though he was put on suicide watch in the wake of that incident.  A couple weeks later, he's dead of suicide and there are a list of procedures that were not followed.

 

He had already failed at a suicide attempt so heightened security is a no brainer.

 

Guards did not check on him every 30 minutes.  There was a 3 hour window where he was not checked.

 

Guards falsified records.

 

Prisoners with a suicide risk are assigned a cellmate but Epstein was alone.

 

Is it any wonder that there are conspiracy theories that he was murdered to keep him quiet, from cutting a deal with prosecutors to reduce his sentence?  If there was ever a prisoner that the Bureau of Prisons should have kept safe, this was the one.  Epic fail.

 

Suicide or murder?  Almost certainly the answer is suicide.  Epstein was a brilliant guy and had plenty of time to plot his death and find the ideal moment.  If the choice is between criminal conspiracy or government incompetence, I'll choose incompetence every time.  Whitey Bulger was killed within hours of being transferred to a US Penitentiary in West Virginia last year.  More government incompetence.