What do we know for sure? Convicted sex offender Jeffery Epstein is dead. What’s in question? If it was suicide…or something else.In the wake of the billionaire financier’s sudden demise, there is an Epstein conspiracy theory for just about everyone. MSNBC host Joe Scarborough was one of the first to start spreading baseless theories when he compared the alleged suicide of the accused sex trafficker to a Russian hit job.
Since then? Both sides are basing their theories on the fact Epstein was rich and mingled with powerful people, including President Trump and formerPresident Clinton. The theories claim he was silenced to protect those people from exposure. Not helping matters? President Trump retweeting a theory that the Clintons were behind the death. The actual facts are these:
- Weeks after being found injured in his jail cell, Epstein was taken off suicide watch.
- Hours before being found dead, about two-thousand pages of court papers were made public. They detailed the depth of the sex-trafficking accusations against Epstein.
- While he was off suicide watch, he was still supposed to be checked every 30 minutes – apparently he wasn’t.
- Officials with New York’s Metropolitan Correctional Facility – for the moment – are saying that break in protocol was due to staffing shortages and low morale.
In the meantime, the New York City Medical Examiner is not ready to make a determination on Epstein's death. A statement confirms an autopsy was completed, but said the cause of death "is pending further information at this time." According to experts, that’s typical for occasions when a prisoner’s death is in question. Federal authorities have launchedtwoinvestigations into his death.
Source:NBC News