Epstein's Alleged Suicide Note Finally Made Public by Federal Judge

A purported suicide note written by Jeffrey Epstein before his 2019 death in federal custody has been publicly released after years under seal, adding a dramatic new chapter to the ongoing scrutiny surrounding the disgraced financier's death and the handling of his case.

The handwritten note was released by a federal judge in New York as part of court proceedings tied to Nicholas Tartaglione, Epstein's former cellmate and a former police officer now serving life sentences for four murders. Tartaglione has long claimed he discovered the note hidden inside a graphic novel after Epstein's first apparent suicide attempt in July 2019.

According to court filings and media reports, the note allegedly included the line: "What do you want me to do, bust out crying? Time to say goodbye." Tartaglione told investigators and reporters that the note appeared to show Epstein was suicidal before his death, supporting his own insistence that he did not attack Epstein during their time sharing a jail cell.

Federal prosecutors this week backed efforts by The New York Times to unseal the document, arguing there was no longer a compelling legal reason to keep it secret after Tartaglione publicly discussed its contents.

The note had remained sealed for nearly seven years inside federal court records in White Plains, New York. Reports indicate that the Department of Justice itself had never reviewed the document during investigations into Epstein's death.

Epstein, a convicted sex offender awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell on Aug. 10, 2019. The New York City medical examiner ruled the death a suicide by hanging, but the circumstances surrounding his death fueled years of conspiracy theories due to major procedural failures inside the jail.

Investigations later revealed that guards assigned to monitor Epstein had fallen asleep, falsified records and failed to conduct required checks. Surveillance cameras near his cell also malfunctioned the night he died.

The newly unsealed note appears connected to an earlier July 2019 incident in which Epstein was discovered semiconscious with marks on his neck. At the time, Epstein reportedly accused Tartaglione of attacking him, though he later said he had "never had any issues" with his cellmate.

The release comes amid renewed political and public attention surrounding Epstein files and the Justice Department's handling of evidence tied to the case. Lawmakers, journalists, and victims' advocates have continued pressing for additional transparency regarding Epstein's network and the circumstances of his death.