By Less than 48 hours before his death, Jeffrey Epstein met with his lawyers to sign a new version of his last will and testament. The controversial move went unnoticed by prison officials until after Epstein’s demise, despite the fact that he was under psychological observation.
In its official report released on Tuesday, the Department of Justice’s internal investigative watchdog exposes a series of serious protocol breaches by prison staff that contributed to Epstein being left unwatched long enough to kill himself.
Epstein was arrested on federal sex-trafficking charges in July 2019 and was held without bail. He spent most of his time in his cell meeting with his attorneys while 23 hours a day he was confined to the special housing unit of the Manhattan Correctional Center in New York.
From the outset, Epstein had a cellmate. On July 23, the cellmate began banging on the door and screaming for the guards. They found Epstein hanging from the bunk bed ladder with an orange piece of cloth around his neck.
The Mysterious Circumstances Surrounding Epstein’s Death
It’s been over two years since financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his jail cell, yet many questions still remain unanswered. Epstein was awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking at the time of his death, and had previously served time for similar offenses.
On the morning of August 10, 2019, Epstein was found unresponsive in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in New York City. According to a report by the Department of Justice (DOJ), Epstein had hung himself using a bedsheet tied to his bunk bed.
However, there are several factors that have led to speculation and doubt surrounding Epstein’s death. For one, Epstein had reportedly been in good spirits just prior to his death, according to his lawyers. Additionally, the manner in which Epstein’s death occurred raised some eyebrows.
Epstein had previously been found unresponsive in his cell about a month prior to his death, with injuries consistent with a suicide attempt. However, the details surrounding this incident are somewhat murky. Epstein had initially claimed that his cellmate had attacked him and attempted to kill him, but later recanted this statement.
Following the incident, Epstein was placed on suicide watch and monitored by staff. When prison psychologists determined that Epstein was no longer a risk to himself, he was removed from suicide watch and downgraded to “psychological observation.”
Interestingly, Epstein requested to be reunited with his original cellmate, despite the apparent attack. When prison officials expressed concern about this, Epstein seemed confused and stated that “everything was cool” when they were bunkmates.
On July 30, 2019, prison staff were informed that Epstein needed to be assigned an “appropriate cellmate.” He was eventually placed in a cell with another inmate just 15 feet away from the guard station. This inmate later reported that Epstein was allowed to sleep on a mattress on the floor and was given an extra blanket, in violation of prison rules.
Then on August 8, Epstein signed a new will. The following morning, his cellmate was transferred out of the prison, leaving Epstein alone.
Later that day, over 2,000 pages of documents were publicly released as part of court proceedings against Epstein’s alleged accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell. The documents contained extensive information that was damaging to Epstein.
Just two days later, Epstein was found dead in his cell. Despite there being numerous peculiar circumstances surrounding his death, an investigation was unable to definitively conclude what had happened.
To this day, many questions remain unanswered about the mysterious circumstances surrounding Jeffrey Epstein’s death.
Epstein’s Death in Prison: A Report
In August 2019, Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in New York. Epstein, a convicted sex offender, was awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy.
The official report stated that Epstein was last seen alive in his cell at 10:40 p.m. He was discovered dead by prison staff at 6:30 a.m. the following morning. He was once again found hanging from the upper bunk with a cord tied around his neck.
The report revealed that Epstein was allowed to place an unmonitored phone call after meeting with his lawyers. While he claimed he was calling his mother, he actually phoned “someone with whom he allegedly has a personal relationship.”
The investigation found prison officials failed to conduct rounds of the cell block and check on Epstein every 30 minutes like they were supposed to, meaning Epstein was unwatched for nearly eight hours. Guards on duty had falsified records to show they had done the required rounds while they were actually sleeping and surfing the internet.
The two guards involved were charged with falsifying records and later reached deferred prosecution agreements with the federal prosecutors, in which charges against them were dropped after they performed community service and kept out of trouble for six months.
Furthermore, some of the prison cameras in the cell block had been malfunctioning for weeks so they failed to record. A nearby camera that was fully operational showed no one entering the area after the guards last locked Epstein in his cell at 10:40 p.m.
An autopsy showed no signs of foul play or struggle prior to his death, officials say they believe he had hanged himself. The discovery of extra sheets and bedding in the cell further supported this notion.
Ultimately, Epstein’s death in prison has been shrouded in controversy and speculation. Despite the report stating there was no foul play, questions remain.
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