Epstein’s Ex-Cellmate Claims He Found Secret Suicide Note, But Prosecutors Deny Knowing About It

Jeffrey Epstein’s death in a Manhattan jail cell has long been shrouded in suspicion and conspiracy theories. Now, his former cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, a convicted quadruple murderer, claims he discovered a suicide note Epstein wrote following an unsuccessful attempt to take his own life just weeks before he died.

Tartaglione told The New York Times that the note was written on yellow legal pad paper and hidden inside a book. According to Tartaglione, the note included chilling lines like “FBI, you know, looked into me for months and found nothing,” followed by “What do you want me to do? Cry about it?” and ended with a smiley face and “time to say goodbye.” Tartaglione first revealed the note’s existence on a podcast last year.

Epstein was found in his cell on July 23, 2019, with a makeshift noose around his neck, suffering injuries consistent with hanging, according to a Bureau of Prisons incident report. Initially, Epstein accused Tartaglione of trying to kill him but later retracted the claim. Tartaglione denies any involvement in harming Epstein.

The note is now locked inside Tartaglione’s sealed criminal case file. The New York Times has petitioned a federal judge to unseal the note, arguing that Tartaglione’s public comments and a two-page chronology included in the Justice Department’s recent Epstein file disclosures justify making it public. Judge Kenneth Karas has ordered responses by May 4.

Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York told ABC News they were unaware of any suicide note from Epstein. However, a chart in the Justice Department’s Epstein files references Tartaglione finding a note between July 23 and 27, 2019. Tartaglione’s lawyer, Bruce Barket, confirmed authenticating the note in January 2020 but declined further comment due to the sealed status of the case.

Epstein had denied suicidal thoughts during a jail suicide risk assessment and was removed from suicide watch just one day after his first attempt. Psychological evaluations noted Epstein’s insistence that he had “no interest in killing myself” and planned to fight his case.

Epstein’s death by hanging was officially ruled a suicide, but the circumstances remain deeply suspicious given his connections to powerful elites and the explosive nature of his charges. Tartaglione was convicted in 2023 and sentenced to life imprisonment; his appeal is pending.

This alleged suicide note adds another layer of complexity to the murky circumstances surrounding Epstein’s death and the ongoing fight for transparency in a case marked by secrecy and unanswered questions. We will be watching closely as the court decides whether to unseal this potentially revealing document.