A purported suicide note attributed to Jeffrey Epstein, obtained by his former jail cellmate, was unsealed Wednesday by a federal judge, according to court filings.
The handwritten letter is linked to what investigators believed was Epstein’s unsuccessful suicide attempt on July 23, 2019, less than two weeks before his death. According to a Justice Department Office of the Inspector General report, Epstein was found “with an orange cloth around his neck” and showed “friction marks” on his neck. His cellmate at the time told officers Epstein had attempted to hang himself.
The note reportedly reads, “They investigated me for month — Found NOTHING!!!” It also includes a partially legible line referencing “16 year old charges resubmitted,” followed by language stating, “It is a treat to be able to choose one’s time to say goodbye. Watcha want me to do – Bust out cryin!! NO FUN, NOT WORTH IT!!”
Epstein was housed with Nicholas Tartaglione, a former New York City police officer. Following the incident, Epstein initially claimed he had been attacked by Tartaglione. He later told investigators he did not know what occurred and declined to explain how his injuries happened, according to the inspector general’s report.
Tartaglione’s former attorney, Bruce Barket, said the note was written on a yellow legal pad. Barket said he and his team never formally authenticated it but became “comfortable that this was Epstein’s note,” partly due to similarities with other writing that had been publicly reported, including a separate alleged note shown by CBS News on “60 Minutes” that also ended with “NO FUN!!”
