Time to say goodbye: Epstein's 'suicide note' sealed in US court for 7 years

A purported suicide note by Jeffrey Epstein has remained sealed in a New York courthouse for nearly seven years, reportedly discovered by his ex-cellmate in jail.

In Short

• Note found by cellmate Tartaglione after Epstein's 2019 near-death incident
• Judge sealed note citing attorney-client privilege, blocking investigator access
• Note not in Justice Dept's records despite extensive Epstein disclosures

A purported suicide note written by Jeffrey Epstein inside a Manhattan jail has remained hidden from public view for nearly seven years, locked in a New York courthouse, according to a report by the New York Times.

The note was reportedly discovered in July 2019 by Epstein’s then-cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, after Epstein was found unresponsive with a strip of cloth around his neck. Epstein survived that incident but was found dead weeks later in the jail.

A federal judge later sealed the note as part of Tartaglione’s criminal case, preventing investigators from accessing what could have been a crucial piece of evidence in examining Epstein’s high-profile death.

On Thursday, The New York Times petitioned the court to unseal the document. Tartaglione has said the note included a message suggesting it was “time to say goodbye.” Despite extensive disclosures of Epstein-related material since December, the note has not been made public, and the Justice Department has said it has not seen it.

A two-page chronology included in official records references the note but provides limited details. The document states that Tartaglione’s lawyers authenticated the note, though it does not explain the method used. If verified, the message could offer insight into Epstein’s state of mind in the weeks leading up to his death.

Epstein’s death in August 2019 at age 66 was ruled a suicide by the New York City medical examiner. However, security lapses at the now-closed Manhattan Correctional Centre have fuelled ongoing speculation and conspiracy theories about the circumstances of his death.

After the July incident, Epstein initially claimed Tartaglione had attacked him and said he was not suicidal. A week later, Bureau of Prisons records show Epstein told officials he had no issues with Tartaglione and felt safe sharing a cell with him.

Tartaglione, a former police officer convicted in 2023 of a quadruple homicide, is currently serving four life sentences and is appealing his conviction. He has denied assaulting Epstein.

In interviews from prison, Tartaglione said he found the note tucked inside a graphic novel in their cell. He described it as written on yellow notepad paper and claimed Epstein wrote that investigators had “found nothing” against him, followed by a farewell message.

The note does not appear in the Justice Department’s online repository of Epstein-related documents. Officials said the department conducted an “exhaustive effort” to gather all records, including those from the Bureau of Prisons and the Office of the Inspector General.

The sealed document also does not appear in official investigations into Epstein’s death, including a 2023 report by the Inspector General’s office.

Court records indicate that the note became entangled in a legal dispute involving Tartaglione’s lawyers. US District Judge Kenneth Karas ordered the document sealed, citing attorney-client privilege. The note was reportedly delivered to a courthouse clerk in White Plains and stored in a secure vault.

A court spokesperson declined to confirm the existence of the sealed note but said such records are typically kept in courthouse vaults for safekeeping.

- Ends