Highlights
- A federal judge unsealed a purported suicide note written by Jeffrey Epstein.
- The unsigned note was found by former cellmate Nicholas Tartaglione after a failed suicide attempt in July 2019.
- The New York City medical examiner ruled Epstein's death a suicide, though conspiracy theories persist.
The handwritten note, which carries no signature, reads in part: "They investigated me for months — FOUND NOTHING!!! It is a treat to be able to choose one's time to say goodbye."
The Guardian, which reported on the unsealing, has not verified whether the letter was written by Epstein. The justice department did not return its request for comment.
The note was discovered by Epstein's cellmate at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City, Nicholas Tartaglione, a former police officer serving a life sentence for quadruple murder.
Tartaglione said he found the note after Epstein unsuccessfully attempted suicide in July 2019, weeks before the financier was eventually found dead in his cell.
After Epstein was found unresponsive, he told prison officials he had been attacked by Tartaglione.
In the weeks before his death, Epstein maintained he was not suicidal. Tartaglione passed the note to his legal team as a possible defence against future assault allegations.
His lawyers then enlisted handwriting experts to look into its authenticity. The note had been sealed under attorney-client privilege as part of Tartaglione's appeal case.
The New York City medical examiner ruled Epstein's death a suicide in 2019. His close ties to the powerful and wealthy, however, continue to fuel widespread conspiracy theories about the circumstances of his death.
