Global InformationDeath of Jeffrey Epstein information
 Epstein in his final mugshot, taken July 8, 2019 (age 66) | |
| Date | August 10, 2019 |
|---|---|
| Location | Metropolitan Correctional Center, New York |
| Coordinates | 40°42′48″N 74°00′05″W / 40.7132°N 74.0015°W |
| Cause | Suicide by hanging |
| Outcome | Removal of warden, indictments of guards on duty |
| Inquiries | FBI and DOJ investigations |
| Coroner | New York City Medical Examiner |
| Arrests | Michael Thomas and Tova Noel |
| Charges |
|
| Sentence | Thomas and Noel: 100 hours of community service |
On August 10, 2019, guards found Jeffrey Epstein, an American financier and convicted sex offender, unresponsive in his jail cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City, where he was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. After prison guards performed CPR, he was transported in cardiac arrest to the New York Downtown Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 6:39 am. The New York City medical examiner and the Justice Department Inspector General ruled that Epstein's death was a suicide by hanging. Epstein's lawyers challenged the medical examiner's conclusion and opened their own investigation, hiring pathologist Michael Baden.
After initially expressing suspicion, Attorney General William Barr described Epstein's death as "a perfect storm of screw-ups". Both the FBI and the Department of Justice's Inspector General conducted investigations into the circumstances of his death. The guards on duty were later charged with multiple counts of record falsification.[1] Many public figures accused the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) of negligence; several lawmakers called for reforms to the federal prison system. In response, Barr removed the Bureau's director.
As a result of Epstein's death, all charges against him were dismissed, and ongoing sex-trafficking investigations shifted attention to his alleged associates, notably Ghislaine Maxwell, who was arrested and indicted in July 2020 and convicted on five sex trafficking-related counts on December 29, 2021. Another associate, Jean-Luc Brunel, was arrested by French authorities in 2020 and later committed suicide.
Due to violations of normal jail procedures on the night of Epstein's death,[note 1] the malfunction of two cameras in front of his cell, and his claims to have compromising information about powerful figures, his death generated speculation and conspiracy theories about the possibility that he was murdered.[4][5] Other theories claimed his death was feigned. In November 2019, the contested nature of his death spawned the "Epstein didn't kill himself" internet meme. Public opinion polls suggest that only a small percentage of Americans believe that Epstein committed suicide; one such poll saw 16% of respondents saying they believed Epstein committed suicide, 45% believing he was murdered, and 39% being unsure.[6]
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
NPR-chargewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Benner, Katie; Ivory, Danielle; Oppel Jr, Richard A. (August 11, 2019). "Before Jail Suicide, Epstein Was Left Alone and Not Closely Monitored". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 11, 2019. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
- ^ Hosenball, Mark (August 28, 2019). "FBI studies two broken cameras outside cell where Epstein died: source". Reuters. London. Archived from the original on August 29, 2019. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
- ^ Gold, Michael; Bromwich, Jonah Engel (August 12, 2019). "Epstein Conspiracy Theories: De Blasio, and Others Join Speculation". The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 10, 2020. Retrieved January 6, 2020.
- ^ Stewart, James B. (August 12, 2019). "The Day Jeffrey Epstein Told Me He Had Dirt on Powerful People". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 13, 2019. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
- ^ "New poll suggests 45% of Americans believe Jeffrey Epstein conspiracy theory". Yahoo News. November 26, 2019. Archived from the original on November 26, 2019. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
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