Epstein Cellmate’s Suicide Note Emerges, DOJ Claims It’s Never Seen It Before

Jeffrey Epstein’s death has long been shrouded in mystery and controversy, and now a new piece of the puzzle has surfaced—a suicide note that Epstein’s former cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, says he found after Epstein’s first suicide attempt in a Manhattan federal jail in July 2019. Yet, the Justice Department says it is only seeing this note for the first time now, despite the voluminous records it has released on the case.

Tartaglione, a former police officer turned convicted murderer, was sharing a cell with Epstein when the financier was found with a bedsheet around his neck. Epstein survived that attempt but was moved to a different cell, where he later died by suicide on August 10, 2019. Tartaglione says he discovered the note tucked inside a book he was reading and handed it to his lawyers to protect himself from any accusations of harming Epstein.

For years, the note was locked away in a federal court vault, sealed due to ongoing legal disputes over Tartaglione’s representation in his murder case. The note only became public after The New York Times petitioned a judge to release it, arguing that Epstein’s privacy interests had diminished since his death.

The note itself is cryptic and emotionally charged, with Epstein lamenting the ordeal he was enduring: “They investigated me for month — found nothing!!!” It also includes a bleak reflection on choosing the timing of his own death, ending with “NO FUN. NOT WORTH IT!!” The note has not been authenticated, and some of its handwriting is difficult to read.

The Justice Department’s refusal to acknowledge prior knowledge of the note adds to the cloud of suspicion surrounding Epstein’s incarceration and death. Jail records show Epstein had visible neck injuries from the first suicide attempt and was placed on suicide watch before being downgraded to psychiatric observation—the status he was in when he died alone in his cell.

Deputy U.S. Attorney Sean Buckley told the judge that while DOJ lawyers were involved in legal proceedings related to Tartaglione, they were barred from disclosing anything due to attorney-client privilege. This means if the DOJ had seen the note earlier, it was under strict secrecy.

This revelation underscores the persistent lack of transparency and unanswered questions about Epstein’s death—questions that demand clear answers given the high-profile nature of his crimes and the powerful figures implicated in his network. The note’s emergence fuels skepticism about the official narrative and highlights the ongoing need for accountability in this case.