Jeffrey Epstein
Jeffrey EpsteinReuters

Disgraced wealthy financer Jeffrey Epstein's death has been ruled a suicide by hanging, two senior law enforcement officials with direct knowledge of the medical examiner's findings said Friday, according to NBC News.

The determination capped days of speculation and conspiracy theories after Epstein was found unresponsive in his federal jail cell in lower Manhattan last Saturday.

The medical examiner's office completed an autopsy on Sunday but indicated it was waiting for more information from investigators before releasing its final determination. The autopsy revealed that Epstein had broken a bone in his neck, a source told NBC News Thursday, an injury that can occur in a suicide by hanging.

The death sparked harsh criticism of the federal prison system and led former wardens and US lawmakers to question how a high-profile inmate could get the opportunity to take his own life after what was believed to be a previous attempt.

Epstein, 66, was locked up in a special housing unit at the Metropolitan Correctional Center where he was supposed to be checked by guards every 30 minutes.

However, a prison official told The New York Times Tuesday night that in actuality, no checks were made on Epstein for three hours before he was found dead in an apparent suicide.

The New York Post reported that two guards at the prison, who were working overtime, fell asleep during their shift before Epstein was found unresponsive in his cell.

In addition, the two guards apparently made false entries in the prison log which kept a record of checks on Epstein, hiding their failure to inspect the accused sex trafficker.

The two guards were suspended and could face federal charges for tampering with the log.

Attorney General William Barr has said there were "serious irregularities" at the federal jail and insisted investigators "will get to the bottom of what happened and there will be accountability."

(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)