Jailed multi-millionaire financier and accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein who was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City earlier this month, hanged himself, said NYC Chief Medical Examiner Dr Barbara Sampson.
Epstein was discovered in cardiac arrest nearly a month after he was arrested for allegedly sex-trafficking dozens of underage girls, some as young as 14, reported People.
He was rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead, the bureau said in a statement while calling the reason of death as "an apparent suicide", CNN reported citing the Federal Bureau of Prisons at that time.
Epstein's lawyers, Martin G. Weinberg, Reid Weingarten, and Michael Miller, said that they intend to conduct their own investigation into the death.
"First, no one should die in jail," People quoted the statement released by lawyers citing New York Times.
"And no one, not Mr. Epstein who was presumed innocent and had violated no prison disciplinary rule, and not anyone should be imprisoned under the harsh, even medieval conditions at the MCC where Mr. Epstein spent his final hours," the statement read further.
"His safety was the responsibility of the MCC. It is indisputable that the authorities violated their own protocols," it continued.
"The defence team fully intends to conduct its own independent and complete investigation into the circumstances and cause of Mr. Epstein's death including if necessary legal action to view the pivotal videos -- if they exist as they should -- of the area proximate to Mr. Epstein's cell during the time period leading to his death."
"We are not satisfied with the conclusions of the medical examiner," the statement concluded. "We will have a more complete response in the coming days."
When Epstein died, Attorney General William P. Barr said that he was "appalled" to learn of Epstein's death while in federal custody, adding that his death "raises serious questions that must be answered."
Others, including New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, echoed the same sentiment.
Epstein was found lying in the foetal position in his cell, with marks on his neck, two week before his death, NBC 4 reported at the time.
Epstein had been behind the bars since July when he pleaded not guilty to charges by New York federal prosecutors after an indictment accused him of running sex racket of teenage girls. A judge had rejected a bail request from him that month.
Prosecutors had unsealed an indictment accusing Epstein of running a prostitution racket with the underage girls at his Upper East Side residence and his estate in Palm Beach, Florida, between 2002 and 2005.
In 2007, Epstein faced similar accusations in Florida but he signed a plea agreement with Miami prosecutors allowing him to plead guilty to lesser state sex trafficking charges and avoiding federal charges.
( With inputs from ANI )