Freshly disclosed documents from the US Department of Justice have painted a harrowing picture of the final days of convicted paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. The files reveal a man living in fear inside his prison cell, culminating in his death by hanging in August 2019.
A Descent into Fear and Psychological Torment
According to the voluminous new release, Epstein's final weeks were marked by profound anxiety and a failed suicide attempt. Records show that on July 23, 2019, the 66-year-old was found in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York with marks on his neck, an incident later deemed an initial suicide attempt.
In a psychological assessment following this event, Epstein expressed terror at the prospect of returning to the Special Housing Unit (SHU). He told an evaluator he could not recall what had happened to cause the injuries and claimed severe sleep deprivation due to constant noise. In notes taken just two weeks before his death, a despondent Epstein reportedly compared himself to the autistic character Rain Man, portrayed by Dustin Hoffman in the iconic film.
Official Ruling and a Brother's Contradictory Claim
Epstein was found dead in his cell on August 10, 2019. The official investigation concluded he died by suicide. Medical records cited in the files noted treatment for a "circular line of erythema at the base of his neck" and other minor injuries from the earlier July incident.
However, the DoJ files also reveal that Epstein's brother, Mark, submitted a tip to the FBI in February 2023, alleging his sibling had been murdered. This claim, described in the documents as a "wild online tip," has not been substantiated by any further evidence uncovered by authorities, who have maintained the suicide ruling.
Unanswered Questions and a Push for Transparency
The documents have reignited public debate over the circumstances surrounding the disgraced financier's death. The release, the largest batch of Epstein-related files to date, came after intense public pressure for greater transparency into the US government's handling of the Epstein investigations.
The files also contain references to the UK's then Prince Andrew, now Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, highlighting the global reach of the scandal. While the new details expose Epstein's personal anguish, they have done little to quell the conspiracy theories that have persisted since his death, leaving many questions lingering in the court of public opinion.
