Jeffrey Epstein's cause of death has been ruled a suicide by hanging; however, there a series of conspiracy theories that suggest he was strangled. There are some distinct physical findings that would differentiate the two. 66 year-old Jeffrey Epstein, who recently pleaded not guilty of sex trafficking charges, was found dead in his jail cell on August 10. He had recently been on suicide watch and reports initially suggested he had hung himself by his bed sheet. However, the results of the financier’s autopsy suggest he sustained trauma consistent with hanging (after preliminary reports suggested strangulation). How do forensic experts tell the difference? Hanging With hanging, one drops from a height and suspends, incurring a fracture of a neck bone which in turn may sever the spinal cord. A severe blood pressure drop can ensue and the victim may die within minutes As seen above, a “hangman’s fracture” is seen with hyperextension injuries where the pars interarticularis on the pedicle of the C2 vertebrae becomes fractured. The distance of the drop is crucial in determining the success of the execution. A drop to long could cause beheading, a drop too short could cause strangulation. If they do strangulate ...they asphyxiate (lose air flow), or lose blood flow from their carotid arteries being compromised. From a capital punishment standpoint, hanging is one of the most common and barbaric ways to execute. Three states still have this form of execution as an option if lethal injection is not available (DE, NH, WA).…

Henry Ross Perot was an American’s American. He died this week at age 89. His 1992 and 1996 independent runs for President were a pre-curser for Donald Trump’s win in 2016. His legacy, however, is embodied in every American who ever took a risk and either succeeded or failed. Perot was largely successful. He started Electronic Data Systems with $1000 and experience at IBM as a salesman fresh out of the Navy. In 1984, he sold it to General Motors—the least entrepreneurial company in the United States—for $2.5-billion dollars. He got a seat on GM’s board and became its biggest shareholder. That’s when the fireworks started. Perot wanted GM to make better cars. He soon found out that GM Chairman Roger Smith regarded EDS as a shiny new thing. “At EDS when we see a snake we kill it. At GM they appoint a committee to study snakes,” was Perot’s comment. Smith soon had enough and the company coughed up another $750-million to get rid of the Texas provocateur once and for all. What GM didn’t get was a non-compete agreement. Perot soon started Perot Systems which was bought by Dell in 2009. One other thing about Perot was important. Being from Texas, he never lost touch with Middle America. No matter how rich he became, he never stopped being the guy from Texarkana whose Daddy was a cotton trader. He always understood that between the east coast and the west coast was a majority of Americans who worked hard,…