A suicide observe purportedly written by the convicted intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein is locked contained in the case file of his former cellmate, convicted quadruple assassin Nicholas Tartaglione, who advised The New York Instances it was written on paper from a yellow authorized pad and tucked inside a guide.
In line with the Instances, Tartaglione discovered the observe in July 2019, after Epstein unsuccessfully tried to kill himself — about two weeks earlier than Epstein died by suicide in his decrease Manhattan jail cell.
Epstein was present in his cell on July 23, 2019, “with a home made noose usual round his neck,” in response to a Bureau of Prisons incident report.
Epstein was “mendacity within the fetal place on the ground of his cell carrying a t-shirt and boxers. He was respiratory closely and was loud night breathing. … His neck was crimson with no abrasions,” the report mentioned. Epstein was “decided to have sustained a round line of erythema on the base of the neck and friction marks on the entrance of neck.”
In line with the report, at first Epstein alleged that his cellmate, Tartaglione, had tried to kill him — an allegation he didn’t repeat. He later mentioned he couldn’t recall what occurred. Tartaglione has denied trying to hurt Epstein.
Tartaglione first talked about the existence of the purported suicide observe in a podcast final 12 months.
“It mentioned one thing like ‘FBI, you understand, regarded into me for months and located nothing.’ Then he wrote, ‘What would you like me to do? Cry about it?’ And he was bizarre as a result of he wrote a smiley face, after which he wrote ‘time to say goodbye,'” Tartaglione mentioned on the podcast.
This photograph supplied by the New York State Intercourse Offender Registry reveals Jeffrey Epstein, March 28, 2017.
New York State Intercourse Offender Registry
The observe is now a part of a sealed file in Tartaglione’s prison case. The New York Instances on Thursday filed a petition with a federal decide to have the alleged observe unsealed, arguing that Tartaglione has publicly mentioned it and {that a} two-page chronology doc in regards to the alleged observe was included within the Justice Division’s recent disclosures of Epstein information.
U.S. District Decide Kenneth Karas ordered the events to the case to answer the Instances unsealing request by Could 4.
Federal prosecutors from the Southern District of New York didn’t know of any suicide observe written by Epstein, sources accustomed to the matter advised ABC Information, however a two-page chart contained within the Justice Division’s Epstein information referenced it.
“Someday between 7/23 and seven/27, NT discovered the observe,” the chart mentioned, referencing Nicholas Tartaglione by his initials.
The chart mentioned Tartaglione’s lawyer, Bruce Barket, authenticated the observe in January 2020 however didn’t say how.
Reached by ABC Information on Thursday, Barket declined to remark as a result of the matter is sealed.
“Your entire Epstein affair, because it pertains to Nick, is beneath seal, not simply the supposed observe, if there’s one,” Barket mentioned.
After the primary potential suicide try, Epstein himself denied he was suicidal throughout a “suicide danger evaluation” he underwent whereas in jail.
“Inmate Epstein denied any previous or current suicidal ideation, intention or plan. He denied ever participating in any suicide makes an attempt or self-injurious habits previously,” the analysis mentioned. “He said he lives to have enjoyable, to get pleasure from life, and to be taught. He mentioned his future plans embrace preventing his case and going again to his regular life.”
Epstein was taken off suicide watch the next day, July 24, 2019, however was stored beneath psychological analysis.
“Mr. Epstein said, ‘I’ve no real interest in killing myself,’ a employees psychologist on the Metropolitan Correctional Heart wrote in a report. “He defined though his scenario is ‘not excellent’ as a consequence of his being incarcerated, he famous he has ‘tons to do for [his] authorized case.’ He described having a ‘great life,’ to incorporate interactions with ‘attention-grabbing folks and initiatives.’ He mentioned ‘it could be loopy’ to take his life. He furthered, ‘I’d not try this to myself.'”
Epstein, a rich financier who owned two non-public islands within the Virgin Islands, got here beneath investigation for allegedly luring minor women to his seaside house in Palm Seaside, Florida, for massages that turned sexual. He served 13 months of an 18-month sentence for intercourse crimes prices after reaching a controversial non-prosecution settlement in 2007 with the U.S. legal professional’s workplace in Miami.
In 2019, Epstein was indicted on prices that he “sexually exploited and abused dozens of minor women at his houses in Manhattan, New York, and Palm Seaside, Florida, amongst different places,” and used money funds to recruit a “huge community of underage victims,” a few of whom have been as younger as 14 years outdated.
Epstein died in jail whereas awaiting trial on August 10, 2019. His loss of life was ruled a suicide by hanging by the New York Medical Examiner’s Workplace, and the Justice Division concurred with that discovering.
Tartaglione was convicted in 2023 and sentenced in 2024 to 4 consecutive phrases of life imprisonment. His enchantment is at present pending earlier than the 2nd U.S. Circuit Courtroom of Appeals.
