Edward Juul Rod-Larsen, the 25-year-old son of two prominent Norwegian diplomats drawn into a widening Jeffrey Epstein scandal, has died by suicide in Oslo days after authorities opened a joint investigation into his parents' alleged financial ties to the late convicted sex offender.
Rod-Larsen was the son of Mona Juul and Terje Rød-Larsen, a diplomatic power couple known internationally for their role in the secret negotiations that led to the 1993 Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestinians. His death was confirmed by lawyers for the family, according to The Times of London, which reported that he was found dead three days after Norwegian and French authorities launched a joint investigation into his parents.
The investigation centers on allegations of corruption involving Juul and Rød-Larsen's relationship with Epstein, including financial assistance connected to the purchase of a luxury apartment in Oslo and Epstein's decision to leave $5 million to each of their two children in his will. Norwegian police are cooperating with French authorities through a joint investigation team, according to The Times.
The family has denied criminal wrongdoing. Juul and Rød-Larsen have acknowledged contact with Epstein, but their attorneys have pushed back against speculation surrounding the case. Family lawyers also criticized the public scrutiny that followed the release of Epstein-related documents and asked for privacy as the family grieves.
The scandal had already shaken Norway's diplomatic establishment before Rod-Larsen's death. Juul resigned from her ambassadorial post earlier this year after reports that Epstein had named the couple's children in his 2019 will. The Associated Press reported in February that Norway's anti-corruption agency, Økokrim, had opened a probe involving Juul and Rød-Larsen, with authorities examining suspected gross corruption and related allegations.
The case drew additional attention because of the couple's stature. Juul served as Norway's ambassador to the United Nations and later as ambassador to Jordan and Iraq. Rød-Larsen, a sociologist and diplomat, was a key back-channel figure in the Oslo peace process and later led the International Peace Institute.
The Epstein connection has been particularly explosive in Norway because it reached beyond one family. The Guardian reported in March that Norway's parliament unanimously approved an independent commission to examine links between Epstein and the country's foreign ministry after newly released U.S. Justice Department files named several prominent Norwegian figures.
The latest developments placed Rod-Larsen, who had not been accused of a crime, at the center of a scandal largely driven by the conduct of his parents and the decisions of Epstein, who died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
The Times reported that Epstein had assisted the family with an apartment purchase and had left $10 million total to Juul and Rød-Larsen's two children. The New York Post, citing the same scandal, reported that newly released files also showed the couple had taken their children to Epstein's private island in 2011, when Edward was a child.
© 2025 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
