Recently disclosed surveillance video has provided a detailed look into the final hours of Jeffrey Epstein’s life, coinciding with the formal conclusion of a federal investigation into his death. The footage, spanning nearly 11 hours, was recorded at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York on August 9 and 10, 2019.
The video shows the financier, who was awaiting trial on serious s– trafficking charges, being escorted in handcuffs and an orange jumpsuit by a guard shortly before 8 p.m. He is led down a staircase and across a common area to his cell. The recordings indicate no visitors approached his cell after that point.
Authorities state the last person seen near the cell was a guard at approximately 10:39 p.m. The next activity captured is the delivery of breakfast trays by other guards around 6:30 a.m. the following morning. It was shortly after this that Epstein was discovered deceased in his cell.
The release of this evidence aligns with a Justice Department announcement that no further criminal charges will be filed in the probe connected to the case. Officials have reiterated the medical examiner’s finding of suicide by hanging, stating the enhanced video footage supports this conclusion. They emphasized a lack of forensic evidence, such as DNA or fingerprints, to suggest the involvement of another party.
The circumstances of Epstein’s detention have faced significant scrutiny. It was revealed that the two guards responsible for monitoring him that night falsified log entries and are reported to have fallen asleep. Required cell checks were not performed, and a scheduled cellmate had been removed. Additionally, a camera with a view of the cell hallway malfunctioned that night.
Epstein had been found injured and unconscious in his cell just weeks prior, in an incident characterized as a previous suicide attempt.
An associate of Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role in child s– trafficking. Federal investigators have indicated she will be the sole individual prosecuted in direct connection to Epstein’s crimes.
The case continues to generate discussion due to Epstein’s past associations with high-profile figures, though the recently closed investigation brings no new charges against any other individuals.
