Epstein’s Ex-Cellmate Claims He Found Suicide Note After Epstein’s First Jail Suicide Attempt

Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender, reportedly left behind a suicide note that was found by his former cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, following an earlier suicide attempt in July 2019. Tartaglione, a convicted quadruple murderer, told The New York Times that he discovered the note tucked inside a book, written on yellow legal pad paper, just weeks before Epstein ultimately died by suicide in a Manhattan jail cell.

Epstein’s first known suicide attempt occurred on July 23, 2019, when he was found with a homemade noose around his neck but survived. A Bureau of Prisons report described Epstein lying on the floor in his cell, breathing heavily with a red mark around his neck but no abrasions. Initially, Epstein accused Tartaglione of attempting to harm him, though he later retracted the claim and said he could not recall the incident. Tartaglione has consistently denied any involvement.

The purported suicide note reportedly contained cryptic messages, including a line about the FBI having investigated Epstein without finding anything and a sign-off that read “time to say goodbye” with a smiley face. Tartaglione first mentioned the note publicly on a podcast last year. The note itself is now sealed inside Tartaglione’s criminal case file, and The New York Times has petitioned a federal judge to unseal it, arguing that Tartaglione’s public comments and government documents referencing the note warrant transparency.

Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York claim they were unaware of any suicide note, though a two-page chart included in the Justice Department’s Epstein files references the note and confirms Tartaglione’s lawyer authenticated it in January 2020. Tartaglione’s attorney declined to comment due to the sealed nature of the case.

Epstein had denied suicidal thoughts during a jail suicide risk assessment shortly after the first attempt, describing his future plans as fighting his case and returning to normal life. He was removed from suicide watch the day after the first incident but remained under psychological evaluation.

Epstein’s death on August 10, 2019, was officially ruled a suicide by hanging. However, the circumstances surrounding his death have been the subject of intense public scrutiny and conspiracy theories, fueled by the high-profile nature of his crimes and his connections to powerful figures.

This new revelation about the suicide note adds another layer to the ongoing questions about how Epstein’s incarceration was managed and whether all facts about his death have been fully disclosed. Tartaglione, meanwhile, remains in prison after being convicted and sentenced to life for multiple murders, with his appeal still pending.

Only Clowns Are Orange will continue to monitor developments in this case and demand accountability for the failures that allowed Epstein’s story to end in tragedy and mystery.