Judge Unseals Purported Jeffrey Epstein Suicide Note

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A federal judge has ordered the release of an unverified, handwritten note allegedly written by the convicted sex offender before his death at a New York jail in 2019.

By TRH World Desk

New Delhi, May 7, 2026 — A federal judge has unsealed a purported suicide note allegedly written by the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, reigniting public scrutiny over the circumstances surrounding his 2019 death.

US District Judge Kenneth Karas of the Southern District of New York ordered the document’s release following a petition from The New York Times. The note — unverified and undated — was added to the court docket in connection with the case of Epstein’s former cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, who told the Times he had discovered it, reported CNN and Axios.

Tartaglione, a former New York City police officer who was later convicted of multiple murders, had the note filed under seal as part of his own criminal case. He claimed in a podcast interview that he found the note inside a book, and his attorneys later submitted it as part of his appeal, said Fox News and CBS News in their respective reports

The handwritten letter, scrawled on lined paper, dates to what is believed to be Epstein’s failed suicide attempt on July 23, 2019 — less than two weeks before he was found dead in his cell. In the note, Epstein appears to express deep frustration, writing in part that investigators had found nothing against him, before adding the words “Time to say goodbye,” NBC News and Fox News reported on the content of the note.

Following the July incident, Epstein was found with ligature marks on his neck. Though he initially claimed he had been attacked by Tartaglione, he later told investigators he did not know what had happened and did not wish to discuss it per NBC News.

Epstein was ultimately found dead on August 10, 2019, at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York. Federal investigators concluded in 2023 that his death resulted from a cascade of misconduct, negligence, and errors by jail staff, said CBS News in a report.

The note has not been independently authenticated. CBS News confirmed it had reached out to both the FBI and the Justice Department for comment.