A US judge has unsealed a handwritten note allegedly written by Jeffrey Epstein before his death in prison.
A federal judge in New York has ordered the release of a document believed to be a suicide note written by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein shortly before his death in 2019.
The handwritten note was unsealed on Wednesday as part of court proceedings involving Epstein’s former cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione. Tartaglione previously claimed he discovered the note hidden inside a book after Epstein’s reported suicide attempt in July 2019.
The note contains short handwritten statements, including claims that investigators had “found nothing” during a months-long probe. It also references choosing “one’s time to say goodbye.” Authorities have not verified the authenticity of the note, and the US Department of Justice has not officially confirmed whether Epstein wrote it.
Epstein died in a Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. His death was officially ruled a suicide, though it has continued to fuel public speculation and conspiracy theories due to reported security failures at the prison.
Judge Kenneth M Karas said releasing the note supports public accountability and confidence in the justice system. Prosecutors also argued there was no longer a valid reason to keep the document sealed.
The release of the alleged suicide note is likely to renew public debate surrounding Epstein’s death.