NEW YORK – Jeffrey Epstein's prison death has been ruled a suicide by hanging, the medical examiner's office said Friday.
Here's the latest on the aftermath of Epstein's death:
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4:20
New York City's medical examiner has ruled Jeffrey Epstein's death a suicide.
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 awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges involving underage girls.
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.
He was found dead Aug. 10.
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.
2:50 p.m.
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.
Balsamo reported from Washington
1:40 p.m.
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.
Epstein died in jail Aug. 10.