In a recent release of files related to the Epstein case, a reconstruction of the days leading up to the tycoon's death casts doubt on the suicide theory
The records include a detailed timeline of Epstein's final hours before he was found dead on August 10, 2019 at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in New York.
On August 9, his cellmate was taken to a court hearing at 8:00 a.m., leaving him alone. Epstein spent the day with his attorneys until 6:45 p.m., and he was reported to be "in good spirits" at 7:00 p.m.
The next morning, at 6:33 a.m., he was found unconscious in his cell. CPR and a defibrillator were administered, and he was transported to Beekman Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:36 a.m.
A series of reports from the Bureau of Prisons reveals that Epstein was evaluated multiple times for suicide risk. On August 1, 2019, a report concluded that it was not necessary to place him under special observation, since he denied suicidal thoughts, maintained contact with his family, had frequent visits from his attorneys, and held religious beliefs against suicide.
The same report rated his acute risk as "low" and his chronic risk as "absent," recommending only the presence of a cellmate. However, on July 23, Epstein had been placed under suicide watch after medical evaluations, although he was removed from that status on July 29, just six days later.
The protection chain "failed" on August 9 when his cellmate was removed and Epstein was left alone overnight. The records show that the required checks were not performed, which allowed his body to be found hours later.
The United States House of Representatives Oversight Committee released an additional 33,295 pages of documents Tuesday night related to the investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, the billionaire financier convicted of sex crimes and found dead in his cell in August 2019.
The files were provided by the Department of Justice (DOJ) following a subpoena issued by the Committee Chairman, James Comer (Republican-Kentucky), on August 5.
These documents offer the most comprehensive insight to date into the Epstein case and its implications. They include everything from court transcripts to explicit recordings related to Ghislaine Maxwell, the British "socialite" sentenced to 20 years in prison for collaborating with Epstein in the recruitment of minors, some as young as 14 years old.
Among the documents are reports from the Palm Beach Police Department, Florida, detailing the initial allegations against Epstein in 2006. These investigations led to a controversial plea deal that allowed Epstein to serve only 13 months in custody with a flexible work-release schedule.
The files also include recordings of searches conducted at Epstein's properties, as well as hundreds of flight logs from his private jet, nicknamed the "Lolita Express," used to transport victims between his various residences.
Other documents recount testimonies praising Epstein's "generosity" toward his employees, in contrast to the numerous accounts of abuse and sexual exploitation. The documentation was provided with the promise that any information identifying the victims, as well as explicit material related to child abuse, would be redacted.
