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More than four years after Jeffrey Epstein’s death inside a New York jail cell, new claims from his former cellmate have shed fresh light on what might have happened in the days leading up to that night.
Nicholas Tartaglione, a former police officer from Westchester and a convicted killer, has now publicly shared details about what he says was a hidden suicide note left by Epstein, one he witnessed and later handed over to a court. In an interview with House Inhabit, Tartaglione painted a grim picture of Epstein’s mental state, saying the disgraced financier was desperate to end his life long before his death in August 2019.
“Jeffrey Epstein tried killing himself when he was in the cell with me,” Tartaglione said. “I woke up and I brought him back with CPR, and to prove this point, Jeffrey Epstein wrote a suicide note.”
According to Tartaglione, the note was later handed over to the court under the instruction of a judge overseeing his own case. In it, Epstein allegedly wrote something to the effect of: “FBI looked into me for months and found nothing. What do you want me to do, cry about it? Time to say goodbye.”
Tartaglione said Epstein didn’t want to be placed under suicide watch, which could explain why he blamed Tartaglione for attacking him, a claim Epstein reportedly apologised for later. The incident became a flashpoint, with Epstein eventually being found dead in his cell weeks later.
In his interview, Tartaglione also claimed Epstein offered him money to kill him, an offer he refused. “He committed suicide,” Tartaglione insisted. “That’s why I was cleared of any wrongdoing. They knew it.”
The idea that Epstein killed himself has long been questioned by the public, with many suspecting foul play due to the high-profile individuals linked to his criminal network. But Tartaglione’s account seems to support the official conclusion from the medical examiner, as well as recent comments from FBI and Department of Justice officials.
Just this past May, former FBI agent and Trump-era Deputy Director Dan Bongino said the conspiracy theories should finally be put to rest. “There’s a video clear as day. He’s the only person in there and the only person coming out. You can see it,” Bongino said during a Fox & Friends segment.
That footage, which reportedly covers the timeframe from the evening of August 9 to the morning of August 10, 2019, was enhanced by federal agents to increase clarity and further support the conclusion that Epstein died by suicide.
Still, Tartaglione’s revelations add yet another layer to an already complex and heavily scrutinised case. The existence of a first suicide note, allegedly slipped into his cellmate’s book, and Epstein’s own words, if verified, may offer the closest insight yet into the state of mind of one of the most infamous figures of the 21st century.