Purported Epstein suicide note made public for first time

A possible suicide note attributed to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was added to a public court docket Wednesday, following a judge’s order. The unverified and undated note was barely legible. It appeared to read, “They investigated me for month—found NOTHING!! So 16 year old charges resulted. It is a treat to be able to choose ones (sic) time to say goodbye. Watcha want me to do—bust out cryin!! NO FUN—NOT WORTH IT!!” The words “No fun” were underlined.

The note came to light during court proceedings for Nicholas Tartaglione, who was briefly Epstein’s cellmate at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan. It was originally filed under seal in 2021, according to court documents.

Tartaglione told the New York Times that he found the note inside a graphic novel, written on a piece of yellow paper from a legal pad. Tartaglione said that he had discovered it after an earlier incident survived by Epstein, the newspaper reported. In that instance, the sex offender, former financier, and alleged human trafficker was found unresponsive in their cell with a cloth around his neck, but recovered, the Times reported.

Three weeks later, but before his high-profile case went to trial, Epstein was found dead in a solitary cell. The FBI determined his death was due to suicide. The finding sparked intense controversy and popular conspiracy theories.

Tartaglione is a former police officer convicted of killing four men in New York state.

Dig deeper: Read my report on a government plan to audit the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein files.