This photo of Jeffrey Epstein, taken on March 28, 2017, was provided by the New York State Sex Offender Registry. AP Photo
A note found by Jeffrey Epstein’s former cellmate after the millionaire sex offender’s first suspected suicide attempt has been made public. The note was previously sealed in a courthouse vault for years, hidden as part of an unrelated legal dispute.
U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas, based in White Plains, New York, ordered the release of the note on May 6, 2026, following a request from The New York Times. The newspaper had asked for the document and other related materials to be unsealed in connection with a case involving Epstein’s former cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione.
Federal prosecutors did not oppose the request, and the documents, including the note, were made public for the first time after being locked away for several years. This marks the first time many details regarding the note have been revealed to the public.
The Note’s Origin
The note was reportedly discovered by Nicholas Tartaglione, a former police officer who was serving a sentence in the same jail as Epstein. Tartaglione, who had been Epstein's cellmate at the time of the suspected suicide attempt, claimed he found the note following the incident.
This note is significant because it has been part of ongoing legal proceedings related to Epstein’s time in jail. The discovery of the note and its subsequent release provide new information about Epstein’s state of mind during the period leading up to his death.
The note’s contents remain unclear, but its release shines a new light on the events surrounding Epstein's life and death while in custody.
The Legal Battle Behind the Release
The release of the note is part of a broader legal dispute involving Tartaglione. The case had previously kept the document sealed, but following The New York Times request and the lack of objection from federal prosecutors, Judge Karas ruled in favor of transparency.
Epstein’s first suicide attempt in jail, which took place in 2019, had raised questions about his mental state and the conditions of his incarceration. His subsequent death in 2019, ruled a suicide by hanging, further fueled conspiracy theories and public distrust surrounding his case. This newly released note could provide more context to the circumstances of those critical days.
