UPDATED: Epstein Autopsy: Strangulation Probable?

Fox, citing the WaPo, is reporting suspicious results from the Epstein autopsy: Jeffrey Epstein autopsy reveals broken bones in neck, cause of death pending:

An autopsy on the body of Jeffrey Epstein revealed the convicted sex offender had several broken bones in his neck, including the hyoid bone, according to a report.

The hyoid bone, which is near the Adam’s apple, can be broken in a suicide by hanging -- especially in older people -- but is more common in strangulation murders, The Washington Post reported.

Anyone with more medical knowledge than I have is free to correct me on this. When they say that a broken hyoid bone is especially common in "older people", they mean a lot older than Epstein's 66 years. For example, a broken hyoid is common in falls suffered by the elderly. My mother died in the aftermath of such an incident--a fall at night in an assisted living home that caused a broken hyoid. My mother was 92.

Moreover, the Fox report says "several broken bones." Epstein was found hanging by a sheet from an upper bunk. In other words, his feet were touching the floor. IMO, the likelihood is that a trauma sufficient to break neck bones probably didn't come from the strangulation that caused his death--he was young enough that his bones shouldn't have been unduly brittle, and the hanging was probably not sufficiently traumatic in nature. The circumstances at this point certainly appear to indicate murder by strangulation.

Then there are the reports--unsourced at this point--of screaming from the direction of Epstein's cell. Epstein resisting? Or screaming in the efforts to revive him? It's clear that there had to have been video of corridors leading to his cell, since we're told:

Guards at the facility are suspected of falsifying log entries, to make it look like they were checking on Epstein more with more regularity than they were, as surveillance video suggested the checks weren't done as scheduled. 

Per protocol, guards were supposed to check on him every 30 minutes, but the video reportedly showed some guards didn't do so for up to three hours, even falling asleep on duty.

All very odd.

ADDENDUM: Via Don Surber:

ITEM 3: Rasmussen reported, "The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that only 29% of American Adults believe Epstein actually committed suicide while in jail. Forty-two percent (42%) think Epstein was murdered to prevent him from testifying against powerful people with whom he associated. A sizable 29% are undecided." 

But the media that pushed Russiagate for 2 years is shocked that people believe a conspiracy theory the media did not push.

UPDATE 1: The original WaPo reporting is worded more strongly than the Fox version:

An autopsy found that financier Jeffrey Epstein sustained multiple breaks in his neck bones, ...

Among the bones broken in Epstein’s neck was the hyoid bone, which in men is near the Adam’s apple. Such breaks can occur in those who hang themselves, particularly if they are older, according to forensics experts and studies on the subject. But they are more common in victims of homicide by strangulation, the experts said.

...

…People familiar with the autopsy, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive stage of the investigation, said Sampson’s office is seeking additional information on Epstein’s condition in the hours before his death. That could include video evidence of the jail hallways, which may establish whether anyone entered Epstein’s cell during the night he died; results of a toxicology screening to determine if there was any unusual substance in his body; and interviews with guards and inmates who were near his cell.

Jonathan Arden, president of the National Association of Medical Examiners, said a hyoid can be broken in many circumstances, but is more commonly associated with homicidal strangulation than suicidal hanging…


UPDATE 2: More from WaPo--h/t Monica Showalter at the blacklisted AmThinker:

A handful of studies conducted over the past decade have produced conflicting results about the likelihood of a hyoid break in a suicide. In a study of 20 suicidal hangings in Thailand, published in 2010, one-fourth of the men who hanged themselves had broken hyoids. In a larger study of suicidal hangings of young adults and middle-aged people in India, conducted from 2010 to 2013, hyoid damage was found in just 16 of 264 cases, or 6 percent. The study addressed the discrepancies in academic reviews, saying wide variations in findings of hyoid breaks are “possibly due to factors like age of the victim, weight of the victim, type of suspension and height of suspension.”

I have no expertise, but I'll go out on a limb. The type of suspension (a sheet) and the height of suspension (very low) seem to militate against a broken hyoid (and thus against suicide) in the Epstein. The softer, wider, material used and the low height of suspension make sudden, sharply directed trauma, less likely. Strangulation, even with a sheet, would strongly tend to provide the factors conducive to breakage of the hyoid.


UPDATE 3: Dr. Mark Siegel agrees with me:

Dr. Mark Siegel: It certainly increased the chances that this was a murder than a suicide. Let me tell you why. The hyoid bone which is right here in the neck, a U-shaped bone… In his case the autopsy is now revealing that multiple bones were broken in his neck including the hyoid. The hyoid bone might break in strangulation about one-third to one-half of the time. In suicide, hanging, it might break 6-10% of the time, depending on which study you look at… Much less percentage. But in order to break that bone and multiple bones in the neck, David, you’ have to exert a lot of force if it’s a hanging. I don’t want to get to graphic here but he supposedly hung himself off a bunk bed with sheets. I’m thinking more a rope from a height. Something where there's a lot of torque.