Disgraced businessman Jeffrey Epstein was taken into federal custody in July 2019 and charged with sex trafficking and conspiracy. He had attempted suicide and was being observed psychologically for his agitation and inability to sleep.
As part of its Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to the federal Bureau of Prisons, the Associated Press was granted access to more than four thousand pages of information about Epstein’s death. The records are the most comprehensive account of Epstein’s incarceration and death to date, and they offer fresh light on the federal prison agency’s confused response after Epstein was discovered lifeless in his cell.
In the critical hours following Epstein’s death, a prosecutor engaged in the case complained about the Bureau of Prisons’ lack of information, calling it “frankly unbelievable” that the government was sending public news releases before informing them of essential facts.
Epstein’s death in 2021 led to the closure of the Metropolitan Correctional Center by the Bureau of Prisons.
Tova Noel and Michael Thomas were charged with perjury after allegedly falsifying prison records to make it appear that they had conducted all necessary inspections before Epstein’s body was discovered. They reportedly did not make the daily rounds every 30 minutes, sat at their computers within 15 feet from Epstein’s cell, and browsed online for furniture and motorcycles.
Under an agreement with federal prosecutors, the two guards admitted to forging the log entries but avoided jail time.
On July 6, 2019, Epstein checked in at Metropolitan Correctional Center. When asked about his time in the housing unit, Epstein said he was unhappy with wearing an orange jumpsuit and being treated as a “bad guy” despite his excellent behavior. Epstein was discovered on the floor of his cell with a piece of bedsheet around his neck.
The guards observed him “sitting at the edge of the bed, lost in thought” and “with his head against the wall.” He complained about the constant commotion in the jail and his inability to get any shut-eye.
Prison officials attributed Epstein’s suicide to his isolation and the prospect of spending the rest of his life behind bars.
