Judge releases purported Epstein suicide note found by his former cellmate
A New York federal judge on Wednesday released a purported suicide note from indicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, who was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell nearly seven years ago.
“They investigated me for months — FOUND NOTHING!!! [sic.]”, the note, which is difficult to read in places, states.
“It is a treat to be able to choose one’s time to say goodbye,” the note continued. “Watcha want me to do — Bust out cryin [sic.]!!”
“NO FUN,” the note concludes. “NOT WORTH IT!!”
The record had been under seal for around seven years before the New York Times petitioned for its release last month.
Epstein’s cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, said he discovered the note stashed in a book in their cell on July 23, 2019, after Epstein was found unresponsive with a strip of cloth wrapped around his neck.
Epstein survived that incident and alleged that Tartaglione had attacked him. He was briefly moved to a different cell and placed on suicide watch. But he was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center just weeks later on Aug. 10, 2019. He was 66.
READ MORE: Prison guards discussed cover-up of Epstein’s death, inmate tells FBI
The Miami Herald was unable to verify if the note really was written by Epstein.
The New York City medical examiner ruled Epstein’s death a suicide, but subsequent investigations have shown that some of the jail cameras monitoring the inmates were not working and guards were asleep. Numerous revelations of security lapses within the jail have fueled speculation about how he died and whether he was murdered.
The recently released records of the Justice Department’s probe into Epstein and his activities did not contain the scrawled note. But one cryptic record provides some indication of how the note went through the legal system.
Tartaglione, a former police officer who at the time was fighting four homicide charges, turned the note over to his lawyers. He thought it would protect him if Epstein continued to claim that he had assaulted him.
Tartaglione, who is now serving four life sentences for the murders, said in a 2025 podcast interview that his lawyers had handwriting experts examine the note. The Justice Department record also states that one of his attorneys authenticated the note in January 2020 but does not provide any further details.
Over time, the note became part of a long drawn-out dispute among Tartaglione’s attorneys regarding his complex case. Judge Kenneth Karas had sealed it to protect attorney-client privilege.
Judge Karas unsealed the document on Wednesday evening.
If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com for additional resources.
This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 8:16 PM.
