Bones in Epstein’s neck were broken

Preliminary findings from an autopsy of Jeffrey Epstein, the financier who apparently hanged himself in a New York City jail last week while facing sex trafficking charges, show that bones in his neck were broken, a person familiar with the autopsy report said Thursday.

A medical examiner who performed the autopsy determined that one of the broken bones was the hyoid, which is near the Adam’s apple, the person said.

Such an injury can occur in a suicide by hanging, especially in older people like Epstein, who was 66. But it also can be found in cases of strangulation, experts said. The Washington Post first reported Thursday that Epstein’s hyoid had been broken.

In a statement Thursday, the office of the medical examiner, Dr. Barbara Sampson, cautioned about jumping to any conclusions.

“In all forensic investigations, all information must be synthesized to determine the cause and manner of death,” the office said. “Everything must be consistent; no single finding can be evaluated in a vacuum.”

On Sunday, the office of the New York City medical examiner said it had completed the autopsy but indicated it was waiting for more information from investigators before releasing a determination about the cause of death. A city official said the office was confident the cause of death was suicide by hanging.

Epstein’s body was found Saturday morning at the Metropolitan Correctional Center. His death stirred conspiracy theories across the ideological spectrum, as people speculated online — without evidence — about the circumstances of his death.