A federal judge in the Southern District of New York has unsealed a purported suicide note written by disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, ending years of legal secrecy surrounding the document.
The handwritten note, reportedly penned weeks before Epstein’s death in August 2019, was released on Wednesday following a request. The document had previously remained under seal as part of unrelated criminal proceedings involving Epstein’s former cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione.
Cryptic Content and References to Investigations
The note, scrawled on yellow-lined paper, contains a series of fragmented and defiant statements. In the letter, Epstein allegedly wrote, “They investigated me for months — Found NOTHING!!!” He also included more emotional reflections, stating, “It is a treat to be able to choose one’s time to say goodbye,” before concluding with the lines, “Watcha want me to do — Bust out cryin!! No fun NOT WORTH IT!!” While US District Judge Kenneth Karas ordered the release, he notably did not authenticate the handwriting or verify the chain of custody, treating it purely as a judicial document subject to public access.
Link to the July 2019 Suicide Attempt
According to reports, the note surfaced following an earlier incident on July 23, 2019, when Epstein was found with marks on his neck in what authorities deemed a suspected suicide attempt. The letter was purportedly hidden inside a graphic novel and discovered by Tartaglione. At the time, there were conflicting accounts regarding the event; while initial jail records suggested Epstein may have implicated his cellmate, he later told psychologists that he had no issues with Tartaglione and even denied suicidal intent, claiming that self-harm violated his faith.
Persistent Questions and Security Lapses
Epstein eventually died on August 10, 2019, at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in Manhattan while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. Although the medical examiner ruled his death a suicide, the case has been plagued by skepticism due to significant security failures. Government findings later revealed that guards on duty had failed to conduct required checks—some were allegedly sleeping or browsing the internet—and critical CCTV footage from the area was missing. This unsealed note adds a new layer to the complex and controversial timeline leading up to his final days in custody.