The FBI and the Justice Department’s inspector general are now opening investigations into the circumstances surrounding how Epstein passed away.
Jeffrey Epstein, the 66-year-old disgraced millionaire and registered offender, was facing federal trafficking charges when he was found unresponsive in his Manhattan jail cell from apparently hanging himself. He was set to stand trial next year for abusing girls as young as 14 years old in Florida and New York, with some charges dating back to the early 2000s. Epstein had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Epstein was being held in his cell in the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Lower Manhattan, when he was found unresponsive at around 6:30 am after allegedly hanging himself. He was transported from the jail to a hospital and was in cardiac arrest upon arrival, but was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Some have speculated that the circumstances were suspicious, after it was widely reported that Epstein was put on special watch following an incident on July 23rd. Epstein had been found unresponsive in his cell after an alleged first attempt, with what appeared to be self-inflicted marks on his neck. He was promptly put on watch, which included daily psychological assessments.
By the end of the month, though, psychologists with the Bureau of Prisons took him off suicide watch and cleared him to return to his cell, which means that Epstein was no longer on watch when he hanged himself on August 10th.
Other suspicions have been raised after it was reported that the guards at the facility did not check on Epstein every 30 minutes, not following proper protocol and leaving him to his own devices. One source familiar with the facility claims that guards pass by each cell in intervals of 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the circumstances.
There are also confirmed reports that Epstein’s cellmate had been transferred out, leaving Epstein completely alone.
However, there is no video surveillance showing what actually happened inside Epstein’s cell. According to standard practice within the area where he was being detained, camera do not point inside cells. This means that the actual time and manner of how he passed away was not captured and will never be conclusively determined.
Attorney General William Barr was appalled to learn that Epstein passed away while in federal custody, and has consulted with the Department of Justice’s inspector general, who will now open an investigation into his passing.
The FBI is also opening an investigation of their own.
