Epstein fractures
© lawandcrime.comNewly released photo shows three fractures in Epstein's neck.
A never-before-seen photo from Jeffrey Epstein's autopsy shows the late pedophile suffered three fractures to his neck — injuries a forensic pathologist hired by his family claims are more consistent with homicide than suicide.

Epstein, 66, had two breaks on each side of his thyroid cartilage, near the Adam's apple, and one above it on the left side of his hyoid bone, according to the image provided to Law&Crime Wednesday by Dr. Michael Baden.

"Those three fractures are extremely unusual in suicidal hangings and could occur much more commonly in homicidal strangulation," said Baden. "I've not seen in 50 years where that occurred in a suicidal hanging case."

In suicidal hangings, the binding "usually goes up under the mandible — the jaw bone — which is a tough bone. It doesn't fracture," Baden explained. "In manual strangulation, or ligature strangulation, fractures can occur."

Baden, the host of HBO's Autopsy, was hired by the pervert's brother, Mark Epstein, to observe his autopsy after he was found hanged Aug. 10 in his Manhattan lockup, while awaiting trial on child sex-trafficking charges.

The twisted multimillionaire's cause of death was ruled a suicide by hanging Aug. 16 by the city's Medical Examiner's Office.

Baden claimed the first forensic pathologist to examine Epstein was "inconclusive as to whether it was a suicide" and that a "higher-up" made the final determination by "checking the suicide box."

Earlier Wednesday, Baden, who was New York's Chief Medical Examiner from 1978 to 1979, presented his findings on Fox News, saying, "I think that the evidence points toward homicide rather than suicide."

If Epstein was killed, "a number of people had to be involved," Baden said. "It's 80 days now, and the brother feels he is getting a runaround. He thinks that his brother wasn't the type to commit suicide but he wants to get the information that he hasn't been able to get so far."