How did Jeffrey Epstein die? Ex-cellmate claims sex-offender tried to end his life three times before death
A new investigation has found that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein tried to take his own life at least three times before he was found dead in his jail cell in August 2019. The investigation, reported by the New York Times, also found that Epstein’s jail cell contained several nooses and strips of fabric after his death.
At the time, Epstein was being held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in New York while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Former NYPD officer and convicted murderer Nicholas Tartaglione, who briefly shared a cell with Epstein, was cited by the New York Times for the report. He claimed Epstein asked him how to make a noose just days before his first known suicide attempt.
Jeffrey Epstein’s first suicide attempts
Tartaglione said this happened shortly after a judge denied Epstein’s request for bail and ordered him to remain in custody. Epstein had been in jail for only 13 days when he allegedly asked about making a noose. Tartaglione said he later witnessed Epstein preparing to kill himself on two separate occasions.
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In one incident, Tartaglione said Epstein tied a bedsheet to a grate near a window inside the cell. In another incident, Tartaglione said he woke up and noticed Epstein acting suspiciously in the dark cell. After looking around, Tartaglione said he found a noose hidden under Epstein’s mattress. Tartaglione claimed he reported both incidents to prison guards. However, he said the guards did not take his warnings seriously and laughed off his concerns.
July 2019 jail cell incident
Another inmate, Peter Bright, later supported Tartaglione statement, saying Tartaglione had told him about the earlier suicide preparations shortly after Epstein’s death. On July 22, 2019, less than three weeks before Epstein’s death, Tartaglione said he found Epstein unconscious on the floor of their cell, according to The New York Times. Epstein reportedly had an orange fabric noose around his neck when he was found.
What investigators found after death
After that incident, Epstein initially told correctional officers that his cellmate had attacked him. Prison officials later investigated the claim and cleared Tartaglione of any involvement, according to an internal prison investigation cited by The New York Times. On the morning of August 10, 2019, Epstein was found dead in his jail cell.
Investigators found various pieces of linen in the cell that Epstein was reportedly not allowed to possess. The cell also contained several nooses and strips of orange fabric that could be turned into nooses. The new findings add more details to the events leading up to Epstein’s death and suggest there were multiple warning signs before he was found dead.