Epstein suicide note kept hidden for years: report
- 'Time to say goodbye,' reads note, former cellmate says
A handwritten suicide note reportedly authored by Jeffrey Epstein has been kept in a sealed court file for nearly seven years, bypassing official investigations into his death, the New York Times reported Thursday.
“The note said that investigators had looked into Mr. Epstein for many months and 'found nothing',” said Nicholas Tartaglione, the convicted sex offender’s former cellmate, in earlier podcasts.
According to Tartaglione, the message ended with the phrase: "Time to say goodbye." He said he found the note inside a graphic novel after Epstein’s initial suicide attempt in July 2019.
Tartaglione’s legal team reportedly authenticated the document using handwriting experts before surrendering it to a federal judge. The note became entangled in a lengthy legal dispute over attorney-client privilege, which kept it hidden from the public and the Justice Department’s 2023 Inspector General report. A department spokesperson said the agency has not seen the document.
The New York Times has now petitioned the judge to unseal the note, arguing for transparency.
Epstein died in custody at a New York detention facility in 2019 while awaiting prosecution on human trafficking charges. His 2008 guilty plea in the US state of Florida led to a conviction for soliciting prostitution from an underage girl.
US President Donald Trump signed transparency legislation into law on Nov. 19 requiring the release of related records. The Justice Department has since released more than 3.5 million pages, though survivors and lawmakers say the disclosures remain incomplete.
