A suicide note allegedly written by Jeffrey Epstein has been locked away in a New York courthouse for years, sealed in court records and hidden from public view despite widespread demands for transparency about the disgraced financier’s mysterious death.
Hidden Note Discovery
Nicholas Tartaglione, Epstein’s former cellmate, discovered the note weeks before Epstein’s death in July 2019. The note was allegedly tucked inside a graphic novel and contained the cryptic message: “What do you want me to do, bust out crying? Time to say goodbye.” Tartaglione turned the note over to his legal team, who later authenticated it through undisclosed methods. Federal Judge Kenneth Karas sealed the note as part of Tartaglione’s separate criminal proceedings, keeping it from investigators and the public for years.
Questions About Epstein’s Death
The note was never mentioned in official investigations into Epstein’s death on August 10, 2019. Two correctional officers, Tova Noel and Michael Thomas, failed to conduct required cell checks at midnight, 3 a.m., and 5 a.m., then falsified records claiming they had. They discovered Epstein unresponsive with a noose around his neck at 6:33 a.m. Dr. Michael Baden, a forensic pathologist hired by Epstein’s family, concluded the autopsy findings were more consistent with homicidal strangulation than suicide. Epstein had fractures on both sides of his larynx and his hyoid bone—injuries Baden said raised serious questions.
Security Failures Mount
Prison camera malfunctions meant only half the facility’s cameras recorded footage during the critical timeframe. The Department of Justice initially charged the two guards with conspiracy to defraud the United States and falsifying records, but prosecutors later dropped all charges after the officers completed a deferred prosecution agreement requiring community service and cooperation with an inspector general review.
Transparency Demands Ignored
President Donald Trump signed legislation requiring the Department of Justice to release all unredacted Epstein-related files, leading to the disclosure of 3.5 million pages of documents. However, the sealed suicide note remained inaccessible, raising fresh questions about what information authorities continue to withhold. The note’s authentication timeline shows lawyers made unsuccessful attempts twice before finally verifying it in late 2019 or early 2020—yet it never surfaced in official death investigations or congressional inquiries into the case.
