A possible suicide note written by Jeffrey Epstein has been kept from public view for nearly seven years, with the US Department of Justice (DOJ) claiming it has never seen the document, according to a report by The New York Times.
The note was discovered by Epstein’s former cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, between the pages of a graphic novel in late July 2019, following an apparent suicide attempt by the financier. Tartaglione, now serving four life sentences for murder, told The New York Times that Epstein wrote on yellow paper: “What do you want me to do, bust out crying? Time to say goodbye.”
The note has been stored in a courthouse vault since a federal judge ordered it sealed amid a dispute between Tartaglione’s lawyers. The DOJ’s online repository of Epstein-related documents does not include the note, and a department spokeswoman confirmed to The New York Times that it had not been seen by the DOJ, despite an “exhaustive effort” to collect all records.
The New York Times has petitioned US District Judge Kenneth Karas to unseal the note, a move likely to reignite speculation over Epstein’s death in August 2019, which was ruled a suicide. Polls indicate around half of American adults believe he was murdered.
The note is briefly mentioned in a “cryptic” chronology released by the DOJ as part of its Epstein files, but it was not included in official investigations, including a 2023 report by the DOJ’s Office of the Inspector General.
