US court releases alleged Epstein suicide note as legal scrutiny over case continues

A United States federal judge has released a document described as an alleged suicide note written by the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to court records and media reports.

US District Judge Kenneth Karas in White Plains, New York, ordered the unsealing of the note after media outlets requested its release following reporting on its existence, News.Az reports, citing Deutsche Welle. The judge ruled that the document qualified as a judicial record and was therefore subject to public access.

The handwritten note was reportedly discovered by Epstein’s former jail cellmate, convicted murderer and former police officer Nicholas Tartaglione. According to reports, the document was found inside a graphic novel following Epstein’s first alleged suicide attempt in July 2019.

Epstein was later found dead in his Manhattan jail cell on August 10, 2019, while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. His death was officially ruled a suicide.

The note, written on a yellow legal pad, contains statements in which Epstein claims investigators found nothing during months of scrutiny and suggests a farewell message. The text includes phrases expressing frustration and concludes with emphatic wording underlined in the document. The note is undated, unsigned, and does not explicitly bear Epstein’s name.

Judge Karas stated that no party involved in the case presented sufficient legal grounds to keep the document sealed. He also noted that questions regarding authenticity and chain of custody were not relevant to the decision to unseal it. Federal prosecutors did not oppose its release.

In a separate development related to the broader Epstein case, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick was questioned by a congressional committee about his past interactions with Epstein. Lawmakers said Lutnick acknowledged visiting Epstein’s private Caribbean island in 2012, years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for sex offences involving minors.

Lutnick has previously given conflicting accounts of his interactions with Epstein, including earlier statements suggesting he cut ties after visiting Epstein’s residence in 2005. During recent testimony, he said he could not clearly recall the circumstances of the island visit.

Members of the House Oversight Committee said Lutnick’s explanations were inconsistent, while committee leadership warned that any false statements to Congress could carry legal consequences. The committee is continuing its investigation into individuals connected to Epstein’s network.

The case remains under scrutiny as US authorities and lawmakers continue to examine Epstein’s associates and circumstances surrounding his death.

News.Az 

By Leyla Şirinova