Newly disclosed correspondence from the Department of Justice has unveiled a peculiar and enduring preoccupation of the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The documents reveal his intense personal focus on a mysterious 'tunnel' structure located at his private Caribbean island retreat, Little Saint James.
A Persistent Architectural Fixation
The first documented reference to this enigmatic feature appears in an August 2009 email, where Epstein received plans from a Virgin Islands architecture firm. This communication mentioned a previous team that had 'added tunnels and office below the main house,' hinting at pre-existing subterranean work. The firm later clarified it was contracted to construct a 'subterranean screening room,' but severed ties with Epstein before its completion.
Years of Detailed Management
Epstein's micromanagement of the tunnel spanned nearly a decade. In 2012, he instructed an aide regarding the tunnel floor, writing, 'Thanks, i want the floor done in the wood tunnel. all the equptent m=ved out floor done on thurs left till monday. thanks.' By April 2015, an assistant confirmed the 'Tunnel floor completed.'
Subsequent communications show his continuous oversight. In a June 2015 email titled 'tunnel/ maint,' he received floor plans of the existing tunnel building. Months later, he queried, 'why are the rusty lockers still there?' and was assured they would be removed.
Strategic Island Reorganisation
In November 2017, Epstein convened a conference call, emailing two contacts: 'id like to have a c=ll with you both, today.. i need help thinking about ho= to reorganie the island. move laundry, ? addtiona= staff. . ? tunnel move.' He later elaborated with ideas: 'tunnel with cots ? ballet room? co=t you less. . be generous with those that work.'
By 2018, the tunnel's function was clarified in an email stating it housed a 'Woodwo=k shop, Paint shop, Landscaping equipment, Plus s=orage for timber and tropical shipments.' The message also noted a new design required 'conditioned space to also accommodate insecticides and fertiliz=r.'
Discussions with Associates and Final Requests
Epstein's tunnel discussions extended beyond staff. In January 2018, Hollywood publicist Peggy Siegal emailed him: 'Dearest Jeffrey.: How have you been? What's up with the Caribbean island? Staff still sleeping in the tunnels?'
His fixation persisted into 2019. That January, he demanded a 'new very large fan for tunnel! AUL heavy rusted !!!.' An aide later updated him, noting work was 'addressing rust, painting= and epoxying floors.' Photographs were sent showing 'crew cleaning up process at the tunnel storage room.'
Weeks later, workers had 'cleaned and organized the Tunnel after they completed the Dies=l Room.' In May 2019, an internal email between aides questioned ongoing tunnel work: 'I saw yesterday work began on tunnels...do we have skin to redo? is our crew doing this work?'
The Abrupt End
This flurry of activity ceased abruptly in July 2019 when Epstein was arrested and charged with sex trafficking minors. He died by suicide in a New York prison the following month, leaving the full purpose and extent of the tunnel works unresolved.
The released documents, part of millions of files, include references to other notable elements, such as a trapdoor in a maintenance room—though its connection to the tunnel remains unclear—and previously publicised images from the estate. The emails collectively paint a picture of a man deeply engrossed in the minutiae of his island property's infrastructure, even as he faced serious criminal allegations.
