A purported suicide note written by convicted s*x offender Jeffrey Epstein is locked inside the case file of his former cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, a convicted quadruple murderer. Tartaglione revealed the existence of the note in a podcast and told The New York Times that it was written on paper from a yellow legal pad and tucked inside a book.
The Discovery of the Note
Tartaglione claims he found the note in July 2019, after Epstein’s first failed suicide attempt, two weeks before Epstein’s death in his lower Manhattan jail cell. According to a Bureau of Prisons incident report, Epstein was found in his cell on July 23, 2019, with a homemade noose fashioned around his neck. At the time, Epstein was discovered lying in the fetal position with a red neck but no visible abrasions.
Epstein’s First Suicide Attempt
Epstein initially told authorities that his cellmate, Tartaglione, had tried to kill him, but he later recanted this allegation, claiming he could not remember what happened. Tartaglione has denied attempting to harm Epstein.
The New York Times report mentioned that the purported note said, “What do you want me to do? Cry about it?” followed by a smiley face and the phrase “time to say goodbye.”
Legal Actions to Unseal the Note
The note is currently part of a sealed file in Tartaglione’s criminal case. On Thursday, The New York Times filed a petition with a federal judge, requesting that the note be unsealed. The petition argued that Tartaglione had already publicly discussed the note, and a two-page chronology document about the note had been included in the Justice Department’s recent disclosures of Epstein-related files.
U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas has ordered the parties involved in the case to respond to the request by May 4.
Discrepancies in Epstein’s Suicide Claims
Despite the existence of the note, federal prosecutors from the Southern District of New York were unaware of its existence, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News. However, a two-page chart referenced the note in the Justice Department’s Epstein files, which indicated that Tartaglione found the note sometime between July 23 and 27, 2019.
Bruce Barket, Tartaglione’s lawyer, has confirmed that he authenticated the note in January 2020 but declined to comment further, citing the case’s sealed status.
Epstein’s Suicide Risk Assessment
After his first suicide attempt, Epstein underwent a suicide risk assessment in jail. According to the evaluation, Epstein denied having any suicidal thoughts, intentions, or plans, saying that he had no interest in taking his own life. He told staff that he had “lots to do for [his] legal case” and had a “wonderful life.”
Despite this, Epstein was removed from suicide watch and placed under psychological evaluation but was later found dead in his cell on August 10, 2019. His death was ruled a suicide by hanging by the New York Medical Examiner’s Office, a conclusion the Justice Department agreed with.
Epstein’s Alleged Crimes and Death
Epstein was under investigation for allegedly luring minor girls to his properties in Palm Beach, Manhattan, and New York for s**ual exploitation. He had previously served 13 months of an 18-month sentence after reaching a controversial non-prosecution agreement in 2007. In 2019, Epstein was indicted on s*x trafficking charges for allegedly abusing dozens of minors, some as young as 14 years old.
Epstein’s death while awaiting trial left many questions unanswered about the circumstances surrounding his life and death.
Nicholas Tartaglione’s Criminal Case
Tartaglione was convicted in 2023 and sentenced to four consecutive life terms for the quadruple murder. His appeal is currently pending before the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
