ISTANBUL 

Newly released records from the US Department of Justice are raising fresh questions about activity near the jail tier of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in the hours before his death, after surveillance review logs suggested a possible presence contradicting earlier official accounts.

According to documents made public as part of a broader disclosure of more than 3 million Epstein-related files, investigators reviewing video footage from the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York observed an orange-colored figure moving toward Epstein’s isolated L Tier at about 10.39 pm (0339GMT) on Aug. 9, 2019, the night before his body was found.

One entry in an FBI memorandum noted: “A flash of orange looks to be going up the L Tier stairs — could possibly be an inmate escorted up to that Tier.”

Assessments differed among authorities.

An FBI log described the blurry image as “possibly an inmate,” while the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General concluded it may have been “an unidentified [corrections officer]” or someone carrying inmate linen.

The inspector general’s final report said: “At approximately 10.39 pm, an unidentified CO appeared to walk up the L Tier stairway, and then reappeared within view of the camera at 10.41 pm (0341GMT).”

‘He’s only person in there’: deputy FBI director

Official reviews had previously asserted that no one entered Epstein’s housing tier that night. Then-deputy FBI director Dan Bongino said in a Fox News interview: “There’s video clear as day, he's the only person in there and the only person coming out. You can see it.”

CBS News, which earlier analyzed the footage with independent experts, reported that the movement appeared more consistent with an inmate or someone wearing an orange prison uniform, adding to discrepancies between video interpretations and public statements.

The newly released files also shed light on conditions inside the Special Housing Unit (SHU) where Epstein was held.

Interviews with inmates described widespread drug use, while two assigned officers, Tova Noel and Ghitto Bonhomme, acknowledged lapses in monitoring. Noel said Bonhomme slept during part of the evening, and investigators found required inmate counts and 30-minute wellness checks were not completed overnight.

Both officers were later charged with falsifying records, though prosecutors dropped the case in exchange for cooperation.

No precise time of death

Epstein’s body was discovered shortly after 6.30 am (1130GMT) on Aug. 10, 2019, and officials ruled the death a suicide, though no precise time of death was established.
During questioning, officer Michael Thomas said he found Epstein hanging and “ripped” him down, but added: “I don't recall taking the noose off. I really don't.”

The ligature allegedly used was never definitively identified, and the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said the surveillance footage was too unclear to identify individuals.

The emerging details, reported in part by CBS News and contained in newly disclosed federal documents, have renewed scrutiny of investigative conclusions and the timeline surrounding Epstein’s final hours.