Additional Coverage:
A suicide note allegedly penned by Jeffrey Epstein while detained in a Manhattan jail cell has remained under wraps within a New York courthouse, according to recent reports.
Epstein’s former cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, said he found the note in July 2019 following an incident in which Epstein was discovered unresponsive with a cloth around his neck. Epstein survived that attempt but was found dead at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) a few weeks later.
The note has reportedly been sealed by a federal judge as part of Tartaglione’s own criminal proceedings, effectively keeping a potentially crucial piece of evidence from investigators probing Epstein’s controversial death.
The New York Times has petitioned for the note’s unsealing. Tartaglione, who mentioned the note in a podcast last year, described it as containing the phrase “time to say goodbye.” Despite public demands for transparency, including calls from Congress, the note remained hidden for nearly four years.
Since December, the Department of Justice has released millions of pages of documents related to Epstein. Among these records is a brief two-page chronology detailing the note’s role in Tartaglione’s legal case. Tartaglione’s legal team reportedly verified the note’s authenticity, though details on the verification process were not disclosed.
A Justice Department spokesperson told the New York Times that, in compliance with federal law requiring the release of government files on Epstein, the agency conducted an extensive review to gather all pertinent records, including those from the Bureau of Prisons and the Office of the Inspector General.
Epstein’s death was officially ruled a suicide by the New York City medical examiner. However, investigations uncovered security failures by MCC staff, fueling widespread speculation and conspiracy theories about the circumstances surrounding his death.
Following the July incident, when Epstein was asked about the marks on his neck, he accused Tartaglione of assault and denied suicidal intentions. Tartaglione, a former police officer convicted in 2023 for a quadruple homicide and currently serving four life sentences, has consistently denied these allegations. Bureau of Prisons records indicate that a week after Epstein’s accusation, Epstein told officials he had no issues with Tartaglione and felt safe sharing a cell with him.
Tartaglione is currently appealing his convictions and maintains his innocence. The ongoing legal battles and the sealed note add yet another layer of complexity to the enduring mystery surrounding Jeffrey Epstein’s death.