Handwriting on a newly released note matches one found after Jeffrey Epstein's death, according to forensic document examiners who reviewed both documents at the request of The Associated Press. The note, which a former cellmate claimed he discovered after Epstein's first suspected jail suicide attempt, was all but certainly penned by the same person who wrote a note authorities found in the millionaire sex offender's cell after he killed himself three weeks later.
Expert Analysis Reveals Shared Characteristics
Three forensic document examiners concluded that the two notes share common authorship, with characteristics such as identical spacing, letter shapes, usage of capital letters, and unique punctuation. Thomas Vastrick, president of the American Society of Questioned Document Examiners, said, 'These are the kinds of things that would suggest that we're dealing with the same writer.' Bart Baggett, founder of Handwriting Experts Inc., stated, 'They are written by the same person.' Grace Warmbier, a former New York City Police Department document examiner, agreed, saying, 'Both of those documents have the same author.'
Content of the Notes
In the first note, made public this week, the writer states, 'They investigated me for month -- found nothing!!!' and talks about being able to choose the 'time to say goodbye.' The other note, which has been public for years, lists grievances about jail conditions, including showers, food, and 'Giant Bugs.' Both notes, written in pen on notepad paper, include the underlined phrase 'NO FUN' and end with double exclamation points, the first of which is bowed slightly with similar curvature. The first few words of each note are larger than the rest, and each successive line slants away from the left margin.
Authorship Not Definitively Confirmed
None of the experts could definitively say that Epstein wrote the notes, partly because there are few confirmed examples of his handwriting in the millions of pages of records released by the Justice Department. However, the notes reflect his grim outlook and echo frustrations he conveyed to jail personnel about confinement in the Metropolitan Correctional Center after living in luxury for decades. They also contain phrases he had used in the past.
Former Cellmate Ruled Out as Author
Warmbier and Vastrick also reviewed writing samples from the former cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, including a note he sent to the New York Daily News in 2019. Warmbier ruled out Tartaglione as the author, finding 'significant dissimilarities between his handwriting and the handwriting in question.' Vastrick noted that Tartaglione's samples had 'a wide range of variation' and that there were some similarities requiring further examination, but he did not eliminate Tartaglione as a potential writer.
Background on the Notes
Tartaglione, an ex-police officer serving a life sentence for killing four people, said he discovered the note in a book in his cell after Epstein was found on July 23, 2019, with a strip of bedsheet around his neck. Epstein was placed on suicide watch and moved to a different cell. He had no cellmate when he was found dead on Aug. 10, 2019. Epstein and Tartaglione shared a cell for about two weeks, beginning soon after Epstein's July 6, 2019, arrest on sex trafficking charges. Tartaglione told his lawyer about the note four days after the suspected suicide attempt, but there is no indication that jail officials or Epstein's representatives were alerted. The note was later submitted as evidence in Tartaglione's criminal case and placed under seal. The other note, found after Epstein's death, was shown on CBS' '60 Minutes' in 2020.
Phrasing Clues
Beyond handwriting analysis, the phrasing of the notes may give clues to their authorship. The note Tartaglione said he found contains the line: 'Watcha want me to do -- Bust out cryin!!' Epstein previously referenced that line, mimicking dialogue from a 1931 'Little Rascals' film, in three emails included in the Justice Department's files, including one he sent to his brother four months before going to jail.
Associated Press videojournalist David R. Martin contributed to this report. Editor's note: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org.
