NEW YORK (AP) — The Latest on the aftermath of Jeffrey Epstein's death (all times local):

The medical examiner's office said in a statement Friday that an autopsy and other evidence confirms the 66-year-old financier hanged himself in his cell at a federal jail.

Epstein was placed on suicide watch in late July after he was found on his cell floor with bruising on his neck.

But multiple people familiar with the jail's operations ail say he was taken off the watch at the end of July.

The Associated Press often does not report details of suicide methods, but has made an exception because Epstein's cause of death is pertinent to the ongoing investigations.

Federal officials have been told to expect that a medical examiner's findings on Jeffrey Epstein's death will be released Friday.

That's according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press. The person could not discuss the matter publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

Epstein is believed to have killed himself early Saturday at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York, where he was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

The federal jail in Manhattan where Epstein was being held has come under sharp scrutiny in the wake of Epstein's suicide.

Attorney General William Barr says officials have uncovered "serious irregularities" at the jail.

The FBI and the Justice Department's inspector general are both investigating Epstein's death.

Two more women have sued Jeffrey Epstein's estate, saying he sexually abused them.

The suit was filed Thursday in a federal court in New York.

The women say they were working as hostesses at a popular Manhattan restaurant in 2004 when they were recruited to give Epstein massages.

One was 18 at the time. The other was 20.

The lawsuit says an unidentified female recruiter offered the hostesses hundreds of dollars to provide a massage to Epstein, saying he "liked young, pretty girls to massage him."

The lawsuit says that the recruiter promised no unwanted touching but that Epstein groped them anyway.

One plaintiff now lives in Japan, the other in Baltimore.

They seek $100 million in damages, citing depression, anxiety, anger, flashbacks and nightmares. </s> Jeffrey Epstein, the financier who rubbed shoulders with America's most elite, was supposed to have been checked by guards every 30 minutes, states a report by The New York Times. The 66-year-old was awaiting trial in Metropolitan Correctional Center on federal charges that he sexually abused dozens of teenage girls. After being denied bail, Epstein was found in his cell unconscious with marks around his neck. He was allegedly placed on watch after that. Still, he was found dead in his cell at 6:30 AM on Saturday. His death has been ruled a suicide, for now. Apparently, the 30-minute guard checks were not being completed.

The Manhattan jail had transferred Epstein's cellmate and allowed him to be alone in a cell just two weeks after he had been taken off suicide watch, a decision that violated the jail’s normal procedure, two officials told The Times. The Justice Department and the F.B.I are now investigating the suspicious activity surrounding the death of Epstein. The wealthy financier has ties to the Clintons, Donald Trump, and Leslie Wexner, the billionaire behind Victoria's Secret. Although there is no evidence of foul play yet, people on social media are already blaming his death on his connections to the nation's most elite. </s> Jeffrey Epstein died of an apparent suicide in his jail cell, now prompting an additional federal investigation into his death along with one already examining allegations of sexual abuse and conspiracy against him.

Epstein, a wealthy financier accused of orchestrating a sex-trafficking ring and sexually abusing dozens of underage girls, was found Saturday morning unresponsive in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. He was later pronounced dead at New York Presbyterian-Lower Manhattan Hospital.

Epstein had been placed on suicide watch after he was found a little over two weeks ago with bruising on his neck, according to a person familiar with the matter who wasn't authorized to discuss it publicly. But he was taken off the watch at the end of July and therefore wasn't on it at the time of his death, the person said.

RELATED: Source: Jeffrey Epstein taken off suicide watch before death; feds to continue probe despite death

Attorney General William Barr, calling for an investigation by the FBI and the Justice Department's inspector general's office, said he was "appalled" to learn of Epstein's death while in federal custody.

"Mr. Epstein's death raises serious questions that must be answered," Barr said in a statement.

Epstein, 66, had been denied bail and faced up to 45 years behind bars on federal sex trafficking and conspiracy charges unsealed last month. He had pleaded not guilty and was awaiting trial.

The federal investigation into the allegations remains ongoing, U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said. He noted in a statement Saturday that the indictment against Epstein includes a conspiracy charge, suggesting others could face charges in the case.

Epstein's death raises questions about how the Bureau of Prisons ensures the welfare of such high-profile inmates. In October, Boston gangster James "Whitey" Bulger was killed in a federal prison in West Virginia where had just been transferred.

Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse, a Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, wrote Saturday in a scathing letter to Barr that "heads must roll" after the incident.

"Every single person in the Justice Department — from your Main Justice headquarters staff all the way to the night-shift jailer — knew that this man was a suicide risk, and that his dark secrets couldn't be allowed to die with him," Sasse wrote.

Epstein's removal from suicide watch would have been approved by both the warden of the jail and the facility's chief psychologist, said Jack Donson, a former prison official who worked for the Bureau of Prisons for more than two decades.

On Friday, more than 2,000 pages of documents were released related to a since-settled lawsuit against Epstein's ex-girlfriend by Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein's accusers. The records contain graphic allegations against Epstein, as well as the transcript of a 2016 deposition of Epstein in which he repeatedly refused to answer questions to avoid incriminating himself.

Giuffre, in an interview with The New York Times, said she's grateful Epstein will never harm anyone again, but is angry that there would be no chance to see him answer for his conduct.

"We've worked so hard to get here, and he stole that from us, too," she told the newspaper.

Sigrid McCawley, Giuffre's attorney, said Epstein's suicide less than 24 hours after the documents were unsealed "is no coincidence." McCawley urged authorities to continue their investigation, focusing on Epstein associates who she said "participated and facilitated Epstein's horrifying sex trafficking scheme."

Epstein's arrest drew national attention, particularly focusing on a deal that allowed Epstein to plead guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution in Florida and avoid more serious federal charges.

Federal prosecutors in New York reopened the probe after investigative reporting by The Miami Herald stirred outrage over that plea bargain.

His lawyers maintained that the new charges in New York were covered by the 2008 plea deal and that Epstein hadn't had any illicit contact with underage girls since serving his 13-month sentence in Florida.

Before his legal troubles, Epstein led a life of extraordinary luxury that drew powerful people into his orbit. He socialized with princes and presidents and lived on a 100-acre private Caribbean island and one of the biggest mansions in New York.

Sisak reported from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Balsamo from Savannah, Georgia. Associated Press writers Curt Anderson, Jennifer Peltz, David Klepper and Larry Neumeister contributed to this report. </s> 1. Jeffrey Epstein, the financier indicted on sex trafficking charges who was able to cultivate a stream of high-profile friends despite his lurid lifestyle, committed suicide at a Manhattan jail, officials said.

Mr. Epstein, pictured above in 2017, hanged himself at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, and his body was found Saturday morning. Last month, he was found unconscious in his cell with marks on his neck but was not under suicide watch when he took his own life.

Attorney General William Barr said that the death “raises serious questions,” and that a special inquiry would be opened into what happened. </s> FILE – This March 28, 2017, file photo, provided by the New York State Sex Offender Registry shows Jeffrey Epstein. Epstein has died by suicide while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges, says person briefed on the matter, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2019. (New York State Sex Offender Registry via AP, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — The FBI and the Justice Department’s inspector general’s office will investigate how Jeffrey Epstein died in an apparent suicide Saturday, while the probe into sexual abuse allegations against the well-connected financier remains ongoing, officials said.

Epstein, accused of orchestrating a sex-trafficking ring and sexually abusing dozens of underage girls, had been taken off suicide watch before he killed himself in a New York jail, a person familiar with the matter said.

Attorney General William Barr, in announcing the investigation, said he was “appalled” to learn of Epstein’s death while in federal custody.

“Mr. Epstein’s death raises serious questions that must be answered,” Barr said in a statement.

Epstein was found unresponsive in his cell Saturday morning at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Fire officials received a call at 6:39 a.m. Saturday that Epstein was in cardiac arrest, and he was pronounced dead at New York Presbyterian-Lower Manhattan Hospital.

Epstein, 66, had been denied bail and faced up to 45 years behind bars on federal sex trafficking and conspiracy charges unsealed last month. He had pleaded not guilty and was awaiting trial.

The federal investigation into the allegations remains steadfast, U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said. He noted in a statement Saturday that the indictment against Epstein includes a conspiracy charge, suggesting others could face charges in the case.

Epstein had been placed on suicide watch and given daily psychiatric evaluations after an incident a little over two weeks ago in which he was found with bruising on his neck, according to the person familiar with the matter who wasn’t authorized to discuss it publicly. It hasn’t been confirmed whether the injury was self-inflicted or the result of an assault.

Epstein was taken off suicide watch at the end of July, the person said.

The Bureau of Prisons confirmed that he had been housed in the jail’s Special Housing Unit, a heavily secured part of the facility that separates high-profile inmates from the general population. Until recently, the same unit had been home to the Mexican drug lord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, who is now serving a life sentence at the so-called Supermax prison in Colorado.

Epstein’s death raises questions about how the Bureau of Prisons ensures the welfare of such high-profile inmates. In October, Boston gangster James “Whitey” Bulger was killed in a federal prison in West Virginia where had just been transferred.

Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse, a Republican member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, wrote Saturday in a scathing letter to Barr that “heads must roll” after the incident.

“Every single person in the Justice Department — from your Main Justice headquarters staff all the way to the night-shift jailer — knew that this man was a suicide risk, and that his dark secrets couldn’t be allowed to die with him,” Sasse wrote.

Cameron Lindsay, a former warden who ran three federal lockups, said the death represents “an unfortunate and shocking failure, if proven to be a suicide.”

“Unequivocally, he should have been on active suicide watch and therefore under direct and constant supervision,” Lindsay said.

Epstein’s removal from suicide watch would have been approved by both the warden of the jail and the facility’s chief psychologist, said Jack Donson, a former prison official who worked for the Bureau of Prisons for more than two decades.

An attorney for Jeffrey Epstein, Marc Fernich, said in a statement that jailers at the Metropolitan Correctional Center failed to protect Epstein and to prevent the “calamity” of his death.

Fernich also said that reporters, plaintiffs’ lawyers and court officials “should be ashamed of their behavior” following Epstein’s indictment. He said Epstein had “long since paid his debt to society” for his crimes.

Epstein’s arrest last month launched separate investigations into how authorities handled his case initially when similar charges were first brought against him in Florida more than a decade ago. U.S. Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta resigned last month after coming under fire for overseeing that deal when he was U.S. attorney in Miami.

On Friday, more than 2,000 pages of documents were released related to a since-settled lawsuit against Epstein’s ex-girlfriend by Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein’s accusers. The records contain graphic allegations against Epstein, as well as the transcript of a 2016 deposition of Epstein in which he repeatedly refused to answer questions to avoid incriminating himself.

Giuffre, in an interview with The New York Times, said she’s grateful Epstein will never harm anyone again, but is angry that there would be no chance to see him answer for his conduct.

“We’ve worked so hard to get here, and he stole that from us, too,” she told the newspaper.

Sigrid McCawley, Giuffre’s attorney, said Epstein’s suicide less than 24 hours after the documents were unsealed “is no coincidence.” McCawley urged authorities to continue their investigation, focusing on Epstein associates who she said “participated and facilitated Epstein’s horrifying sex trafficking scheme.”

Other accusers and their lawyers reacted to the news with frustration that the financier won’t have to face them in court.

“We have to live with the scars of his actions for the rest of our lives, while he will never face the consequences of the crimes he committed the pain and trauma he caused so many people,” accuser Jennifer Araoz said in a statement.

Brad Edwards, a Florida lawyer for nearly two dozen other accusers, said that “this is not the ending anyone was looking for.”

“The victims deserved to see Epstein held accountable, and he owed it to everyone he hurt to accept responsibility for all of the pain he caused,” Edwards said in a statement.

Epstein’s arrest drew national attention, particularly focusing on a deal that allowed Epstein to plead guilty in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution in Florida and avoid more serious federal charges.

Federal prosecutors in New York reopened the probe after investigative reporting by The Miami Herald stirred outrage over that plea bargain.

His lawyers maintained that the new charges in New York were covered by the 2008 plea deal and that Epstein hadn’t had any illicit contact with underage girls since serving his 13-month sentence in Florida.

Before his legal troubles, Epstein led a life of extraordinary luxury that drew powerful people into his orbit. He socialized with princes and presidents and lived on a 100-acre private Caribbean island and one of the biggest mansions in New York.

This story has corrected the name of the Metropolitan Correctional Center.

Sisak reported from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Balsamo from Savannah, Georgia. Associated Press writers Curt Anderson, Jennifer Peltz, David Klepper and Larry Neumeister contributed to this report. </s> Jeffrey Epstein’s apparent suicide in a federal jail launched new conspiracy theories online in a saga that has provided fodder for them for years, fueled by Epstein’s ties to princes, politicians and other famous and powerful people.

Online theorists Saturday quickly offered unsubstantiated speculation — including some retweeted by President Donald Trump — that Epstein’s death wasn’t a suicide, or it was faked.

That chatter picked up on the conjecture that resurged after Epstein’s July 6 arrest on allegations that he orchestrated a sex-trafficking ring designed to bring him teenage girls. Some of his accusers have described being sexually abused by the wealthy financier’s friends and acquaintances.

The combination created fertile ground for theories and misinformation to breed on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Epstein, 66, had been denied bail and faced up to 45 years behind bars on federal sex trafficking and conspiracy charges unsealed last month. He had pleaded not guilty and was awaiting trial next year.

His relationships with President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton and Britain’s Prince Andrew were at the center of those online rumors and theories, many of which question what politicians knew about Epstein’s alleged sex crimes.

Others theories, however, have been easily debunked.

For example, days after his arrest online memes and Facebook statuses wrongly claimed the Obama administration, in order to protect former President Clinton, forged a once-secret deal in 2008 in Florida that allowed him to plead guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution to avoid more serious charges. The deal was actually executed before President Barack Obama took office , under former President George W. Bush.

Meanwhile, a manipulated photo , shared by thousands on Twitter and Facebook, falsely claimed to show Epstein with Trump and a young Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter.

Both Clinton and Trump have denied being privy to Epstein’s alleged scheme.

Clinton spokesman Angel Ureña said the former president “knows nothing about the terrible crimes Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to in Florida some years ago, or those with which he has been recently charged in New York.” He said that, in 2002 and 2003, Clinton took four trips on Epstein’s plane with multiple stops and that staff and his Secret Service detail traveled on every leg.

Trump has acknowledged knowing Epstein but said he “had a falling out with him a long time ago.”

Other Epstein theories floating online have been darker, especially after Epstein was found injured on the floor of his cell last month with bruises on his neck. Some online commentators described it as a “murder attempt.”

“Men in high places want Epstein dead,” one Twitter use wrote.

Hours after Epstein’s death Saturday, as the hashtag #EpsteinMurder was trending worldwide on Twitter, the president joined Twitter speculation around Epstein’s death while under the federal government’s watch.

Trump, who rose to conservative prominence by falsely claiming Obama wasn’t born in the U.S., retweeted unsubstantiated claims about Epstein’s death.

Other politicians also took to social media to question the circumstances.

Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, the state where some of Epstein’s alleged sexual abuse crimes took place, suggested the possibility that others might have been involved in Epstein’s death when he called on corrections officials to explain what happened at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan.

“The Federal Bureau of Prisons must provide answers on what systemic failures of the MCC Manhattan or criminal acts allowed this coward to deny justice to his victims,” he tweeted.

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, now an attorney for Trump, tweeted out several questions about Epstein’s death.

“Who was watching? What does camera show? … Follow the motives” Giuliani tweeted Saturday afternoon.

The FBI and the Department of Justice’s Office of the Inspector General will investigate the circumstances surrounding Epstein’s death, Attorney General William Barr said.

“Mr. Epstein’s death raises serious questions that must be answered,” Barr said in a news release.

Epstein’s suicide was likely recorded by jail cameras, according to Preet Bharara, the former federal prosecutor in Manhattan.

“One hopes it is complete, conclusive, and secured,” he tweeted.

Epstein’s arrest last month launched separate investigations into how authorities handled his case initially when similar charges were first brought against him in Florida more than a decade ago. U.S. Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta resigned last month after coming under fire for overseeing that deal when he was U.S. attorney in Miami.

Epstein’s lawyers maintained that the new charges in New York were covered by the 2008 plea deal and that Epstein hadn’t had any illicit contact with underage girls since serving his 13-month sentence in Florida. </s> Jeffrey Epstein's apparent suicide Saturday morning in a federal jail launched new conspiracy theories online in a saga that has provided fodder for them for years, fueled by Epstein's ties to princes, politicians and other famous and powerful people.

Online theorists Saturday quickly offered unsubstantiated speculation - including some retweeted by President Donald Trump - that Epstein's death wasn't a suicide, or it was faked.

That chatter picked up on the conjecture that resurged after Epstein's July 6 arrest on allegations that he orchestrated a sex-trafficking ring designed to bring him teenage girls. Some of his accusers have described being sexually abused by the wealthy financier's friends and acquaintances.

The combination created fertile ground for theories and misinformation to breed on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Epstein, 66, had been denied bail and faced up to 45 years behind bars on federal sex trafficking and conspiracy charges unsealed last month. He had pleaded not guilty and was awaiting trial next year.

His relationships with President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton and Britain's Prince Andrew were at the center of those online rumors and theories, many of which question what politicians knew about Epstein's alleged sex crimes.

Others theories, however, have been easily debunked.

For example, days after his arrest online memes and Facebook statuses wrongly claimed the Obama administration, in order to protect former President Clinton, forged a once-secret deal in 2008 in Florida that allowed him to plead guilty to soliciting a minor for prostitution to avoid more serious charges. The deal was actually executed before President Barack Obama took office , under former President George W. Bush.

Meanwhile, a manipulated photo , shared by thousands on Twitter and Facebook, falsely claimed to show Epstein with Trump and a young Ivanka Trump, the president's daughter.

Both Clinton and Trump have denied being privy to Epstein's alleged scheme.

Clinton spokesman Angel Ureña said the former president "knows nothing about the terrible crimes Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to in Florida some years ago, or those with which he has been recently charged in New York." He said that, in 2002 and 2003, Clinton took four trips on Epstein's plane with multiple stops and that staff and his Secret Service detail traveled on every leg.

Trump has acknowledged knowing Epstein but said he "had a falling out with him a long time ago."

Other Epstein theories floating online have been darker, especially after Epstein was found injured on the floor of his cell last month with bruises on his neck. Some online commentators described it as a "murder attempt."

"Men in high places want Epstein dead," one Twitter use wrote.

Hours after Epstein's death Saturday, as the hashtag #EpsteinMurder was trending worldwide on Twitter, the president joined Twitter speculation around Epstein's death while under the federal government's watch.

Trump, who rose to conservative prominence by falsely claiming Obama wasn't born in the U.S., retweeted unsubstantiated claims about Epstein's death.

Other politicians also took to social media to question the circumstances.

Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida, the state where some of Epstein's alleged sexual abuse crimes took place, suggested the possibility that others might have been involved in Epstein's death when he called on corrections officials to explain what happened at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan.

"The Federal Bureau of Prisons must provide answers on what systemic failures of the MCC Manhattan or criminal acts allowed this coward to deny justice to his victims," he tweeted.

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, now an attorney for Trump, tweeted out several questions about Epstein's death.

"Who was watching? What does camera show? ... Follow the motives" Giuliani tweeted Saturday afternoon.

The FBI and the Department of Justice's Office of the Inspector General will investigate the circumstances surrounding Epstein's death, Attorney General William Barr said.

"Mr. Epstein's death raises serious questions that must be answered," Barr said in a news release.

Epstein's suicide was likely recorded by jail cameras, according to Preet Bharara, the former federal prosecutor in Manhattan.

"One hopes it is complete, conclusive, and secured," he tweeted.

Epstein's arrest last month launched separate investigations into how authorities handled his case initially when similar charges were first brought against him in Florida more than a decade ago. U.S. Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta resigned last month after coming under fire for overseeing that deal when he was U.S. attorney in Miami.

Epstein's lawyers maintained that the new charges in New York were covered by the 2008 plea deal and that Epstein hadn't had any illicit contact with underage girls since serving his 13-month sentence in Florida.

Klepper reported from Albany, New York. Seitz, a member of the AP's Fact Check team, reported from Chicago. </s> Politicians and alleged victims have reacted angrily after Jeffrey Epstein killed himself in a prison cell, with Donald Trump sharing a conspiracy theory about the disgraced financier's death.

The 66-year-old's suicide came as he awaited a trial over sex trafficking allegations.

It has been reported that Epstein was not on suicide watch, despite the fact he attempted to take his own life a few weeks ago.

On Twitter, the US president retweeted a right-wing comedian's unsubstantiated claim surrounding the incident, which suggest Bill Clinton was involved.

But that conspiracy theory was just one of many circulating on the internet, with theories around Mr Trump's involvement among them.

Both Mr Clinton and Mr Trump have denied being privy to Epstein's alleged scheme.

Mr Trump admits he used to be an acquaintance of Epstein, but said he fell out with him more than 15 years ago.

A spokesman for Mr Clinton, Angel Urena, said previously the former president "knows nothing about the terrible crimes Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty to in Florida some years ago, or those with which he has been recently charged in New York".

Prosecutors in the US have confirmed their investigation into the sex trafficking allegations against Epstein will continue.

The justice department has been criticised over its failure to ensure Epstein faced his accusers in court - with the FBI launching an investigation into his death.

Jennifer Araoz, who accused the multimillionaire of raping her when she was 15, said: "I am angry Jeffrey Epstein won't have to face his survivors of his abuse in court.

"We have to live with the scars of his actions for the rest of our lives, while he will never face the consequences of the crimes he committed."

Another anonymous accuser, whose statement was released by her lawyer, Lisa Bloom, said: "I will never have a sense of closure now. I'm angry as hell that the prison could have allowed this to happen."

Republican senator Ben Sasse, referring to a 2008 plea deal that resulted in Epstein getting 18 months' jail time for sex offences, said: "The Department of Justice failed, and today Jeffrey Epstein's co-conspirators think they might have just gotten one last sweetheart deal.

"Every single person in the justice department... knew that this man was a suicide risk, and that his dark secrets couldn't be allowed to die with him."

Democratic New York representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said: "We need answers. Lots of them."

Attorney general William Barr said he was "appalled" by the suicide, adding: "Mr Epstein's death raises serious questions that must be answered."

Brad Edwards, who represents many of Epstein's accusers, urged anyone who had not come forward with information to still do so.

But, as a number of lawyers said the civil cases would likely continue against Epstein's estate, prosecutors indicated they would seek to investigate others connected to him.

Manhattan US Attorney Geoffrey Berman, who brought the sex trafficking charges against Epstein, said on Saturday night: "Today's events are disturbing, and we are deeply aware of their potential to present yet another hurdle to giving Epstein's many victims their day in court.

"To those brave young women who have already come forward and to the many others who have yet to do so, let me reiterate that we remain committed to standing for you, and our investigation of the conduct charged in the Indictment - which included a conspiracy count - remains ongoing."

Among those in the spotlight, according to NBC News, is Briton Ghislaine Maxwell, Robert Maxwell's daughter, who was a long time member of Esptein's inner circle.

Her name re-emerged on Friday after the release of the cache of court papers relating to a 2015 defamation lawsuit filed by Virginia Roberts Giuffre against Ms Maxwell.

The suit was settled out of court in 2017 but a judge in July gave permission for hundreds of pages of witness submissions to be unsealed and made public, many of them about Ms Maxwell's relationship to Epstein and some of his accusers.

Among the allegations made in the documents, was one that accused Prince Andrew of touching the breast of a young woman at Epstein's Manhattan mansion. Buckingham Palace reacted by stating: "Any suggestion of impropriety with minors is categorically untrue." </s> FILE – This July 25, 2013, file image provided by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement shows financier Jeffrey Epstein. Officials say the FBI and U.S. Inspector General’s office will investigate how Epstein died in an apparent suicide, while the probe into sexual abuse allegations against the well-connected financier remains ongoing. A person familiar with the matter says Epstein, accused of orchestrating a sex-trafficking ring and sexually abusing dozens of underage girls, had been taken off suicide watch before he killed himself Saturday, Aug. 10, 2019, in a New York jail. (Florida Department of Law Enforcement via AP, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — Jeffrey Epstein’s prison death has been confirmed a suicide by hanging, the medical examiner’s office said Friday.

Epstein, 66, was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City on Aug. 10, touching off outrage and disbelief over how such a high-profile prisoner, known for socializing with powerful people including presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, could have gone unwatched.

The Bureau of Prisons said Epstein had apparently killed himself, but that didn’t squelch conspiracy theories about his death.

Messages seeking comment were left for Epstein’s lawyers. An office telephone number for Dr. Michael Baden, the pathologist hired by Epstein’s representatives to observe the autopsy, rang unanswered.

Epstein, who was charged with sexually abusing numerous underage girls over several years, had been placed on suicide watch last month after he was found on his cell floor on July 23 with bruising on his neck.

But multiple people familiar with operations at the jail say he was taken off the watch after about a week and put back in a high-security housing unit where he was less closely monitored, but still supposed to be checked on every 30 minutes.

Attorney General William Barr says officials have uncovered “serious irregularities” at the jail. The FBI and the Justice Department’s inspector general are both investigating Epstein’s death.

Jail guards on duty the night of Epstein’s death are suspected of falsifying log entries to show they were checking on inmates every half-hour as required, according to several people familiar with the matter.

A guard in Epstein’s unit was working a fifth straight day of overtime and another guard was working mandatory overtime, the people said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the lacked authorization to publicly discuss the investigation.

U.S. District Judge Richard Berman, who is in charge of the criminal case against Epstein, asked the jail’s warden this week for answers about the earlier episode, writing in a letter Monday that it had “never been definitively explained.”

The warden replied that an internal investigation was completed but that he couldn’t provide information because the findings were being incorporated into investigations into Epstein’s death.

The Associated Press often does not report details of suicide methods, but has made an exception because Epstein’s cause of death is pertinent to the ongoing investigations.

The Washington Post and The New York Times reported Thursday that the autopsy revealed that several bones in Epstein’s neck had been broken, leading to speculation his death was a homicide.

Chief Medical Examiner Barbara Sampson issued a statement Thursday in response to those articles, saying: “In all forensic investigations, all information must be synthesized to determine the cause and manner of death. Everything must be consistent; no single finding can be evaluated in a vacuum.”

The medical examiner’s ruling came a day after two more women sued Jeffrey Epstein’s estate, saying he sexually abused them.

The suit, filed Thursday in a federal court in New York, claims the women were working as hostesses at a popular Manhattan restaurant in 2004 when they were recruited to give Epstein massages.

One was 18 at the time. The other was 20.

The lawsuit says an unidentified female recruiter offered the hostesses hundreds of dollars to provide massages to Epstein, saying he “liked young, pretty girls to massage him,” and wouldn’t engage in any unwanted touching. The women say Epstein groped them anyway.

One plaintiff now lives in Japan, the other in Baltimore. They seek $100 million in damages, citing depression, anxiety, anger and flashbacks.

Other lawsuits, filed over many years by other women, accused him of hiring girls as young as 14 or 15 to give him massages, then subjecting them to sex acts.
American financier Jeffrey Epstein is found dead in his Manhattan jail cell in an apparent suicide while awaiting trial for sex trafficking charges.