Topics: Jeffrey Epstein, US News, Crime, Politics
Warning: This article contains discussion of child abuse which some readers may find distressing.
A federal judge on Wednesday (6 May) unsealed an alleged suicide note said to have been written by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who managed a widespread sex trafficking network, exploiting dozens of underage girls.
It is the first time the document has been released publicly.
Nicholas Tartaglione, Epstein’s cellmate at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City, said he found the note after Epstein allegedly attempted suicide in July 2019, weeks before he was later found dead in his prison cell.
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"They investigated me for months — FOUND NOTHING!!!" the note reads. "It is a treat to be able to choose one’s time to say goodbye. Watcha want me to do — Bust out cryin!! NO FUN – NOT WORTH IT!!"
The document is unsigned, and it is not confirmed whether Epstein wrote the letter.
The note was unsealed after the New York Times reported on its existence last week and asked the court in White Plains, New York, to make it public.
Tartaglione, a former police officer serving a life sentence for a quadruple murder conviction that he is appealing, found Epstein unconscious in their shared cell. Federal records show Epstein later told prison officials he had been assaulted by Tartaglione.
In the weeks before his death, Epstein repeatedly said he was not suicidal.
According to the Times, Tartaglione later gave the alleged note to his legal team as protection against any future claims that he had attacked Epstein.
New York City’s medical examiner ruled Epstein’s death a suicide in 2019, but the late financier's connections to numerous influential and wealthy figures from around the world, including politicians, business leaders, and royalty, have continued to fuel conspiracy theories surrounding the circumstances of his death.
"The note has not yet been authenticated, and this is the first time DOJ is seeing it as well. This purported note was submitted by Tartaglione to the court ex parte as part of sealed proceedings in which DOJ was not involved," a DOJ spokesperson told Tyla.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123 or contact Harmless by visiting their website https://harmless.org.uk.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, 10am-8pm Monday to Friday. If you are a child seeking advice and support, call Childline for free on 0800 1111, 24/7.
