A note purportedly written by Jeffrey Epstein before his death has been made public by a federal judge in New York, after remaining sealed for years as part of the criminal case of his former cellmate.
The note, released on Wednesday by Judge Kenneth M. Karas of Federal District Court in White Plains, New York, begins with the words: "They investigated me for month - FOUND NOTHING!!!" It adds that the result was charges going back many years. "It is a treat to be able to choose one's time to say goodbye," the note continues, before concluding with the words "NO FUN. NOT WORTH IT!!" underlined.
The New York Times, which petitioned the court last Thursday to unseal the document, has not authenticated that Epstein wrote it. However, the note repeats phrases, including "bust out cryin" and "No fun," that Epstein used in emails and in a separate note found in his jail cell at the time of his death.
How the note came to light
Epstein's former cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, said he found the note in July 2019 tucked inside a graphic novel, after Epstein was found unresponsive in their shared cell with a strip of cloth around his neck. Epstein survived that incident but was found dead weeks later, aged 66, at the now-closed Metropolitan Correctional Center in Lower Manhattan. The New York City medical examiner ruled his death a suicide, though security lapses at the facility have fuelled persistent theories about the circumstances of his death.
Tartaglione, a former police officer from Briarcliff Manor, New York, said he gave the note to his lawyers at the time because he believed it could be useful if Epstein continued to claim that Tartaglione had attacked him. When jail officials asked Epstein about the red marks on his neck after the July incident, he initially said Tartaglione had assaulted him, but later told officials he "never had any issues" with his cellmate. Tartaglione has consistently denied attacking Epstein.
The note subsequently became entangled in a legal dispute among Tartaglione's lawyers and was placed under a court seal to protect attorney-client privilege. The original copy was handed to the court in May 2021, nearly two years after Epstein's death. It remained sealed even as the Justice Department released millions of pages of documents related to Epstein under a new law. A Justice Department spokeswoman said the agency had never seen the note.
Before releasing it, Judge Karas invited submissions from all parties. The US attorney's office in Manhattan said it did not contest the release, noting a "strong public interest in the circumstances surrounding Epstein's death." Tartaglione's appellate lawyers said they had no objection either.
Tartaglione was convicted in 2023 of quadruple murder and is serving four life sentences. He has maintained his innocence and has appealed his conviction.
Source: The New York Times
