Was a ‘fake body’ used to mislead media after Epstein’s death? What newly released records reveal

Newly released official records have brought fresh scrutiny to the chaotic hours following the death of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in a New York jail in August 2019. The documents, disclosed as part of a large release of investigative material, include memos and interview notes describing how jail officials allegedly staged a decoy operation to divert media attention while Epstein’s body was removed. The disclosures add another layer to the long-running controversy surrounding Epstein’s death.

According to an internal memo dated August 16, 2019, a jail supervisor told FBI agents that officials devised a ruse to deal with a 'large news media presence' gathered outside the jail once Epstein’s death became public. The aim, the memo states, was to draw reporters away from the actual movement of the body.

The memo records that several jail employees 'used boxes and sheets to create what appeared to be a human body'. This decoy was placed into a white van labelled as belonging to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. Media crews reportedly followed the vehicle as it left the jail, believing Epstein’s body was inside.

While the media tracked the white van, Epstein’s actual body was moved separately. According to the interview notes cited in the records, the body was loaded into a black vehicle that departed the jail 'unnoticed'. The contrast between the two vehicles forms the core of the alleged deception outlined in the memo.

As with many of the documents released, the identities of those involved remain unclear. Names of the jail employees referenced in the memo were blacked out, preventing public identification of the individuals who allegedly participated in the operation.

The newly released material also includes records relating to Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime associate, focusing on her incarceration and grievances about prison conditions. Separate emails between investigators discuss Epstein’s death and reference his final note, with one email stating that it 'does not appear to be a suicide note'. Thousands of pages connected to Epstein’s death had already been released in earlier disclosures.

More than five years after Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his jail cell, each fresh disclosure continues to deepen public debate and mistrust surrounding his case. Around three million pages of records, along with nearly 180,000 images and about 2,000 videos, were made public on Friday by the Department of Justice. The release came six weeks after the Justice Department missed a deadline set under a law signed by US President Donald Trump, which required all Epstein-related material to be disclosed in the interest of transparency.