The disgraced financier, jailed in Manhattan on federal sex trafficking charges involving teenage girls, was found unconscious on the floor of his cell one morning in July 2019, a strip of bedsheet tied around his bruised neck.

In the hours and days that followed that suicide attempt, Jeffrey Epstein would claim to be living a “wonderful life,” denying any thoughts of ending it, even as he sat on suicide watch and faced daunting legal troubles.

“I have no interest in killing myself,” Epstein told a jailhouse psychologist, according to Bureau of Prisons documents that have not previously been made public. He was a “coward” and did not like pain, he explained. “I would not do that to myself.”

But two weeks later, he did just that: He died in his cell Aug. 10 in the Metropolitan Correctional Center, having hanged himself with a bedsheet, the medical examiner ruled.

After a life of manipulation, Epstein created illusions until the very end, deceiving correctional officers, counsellors and specially trained inmates assigned to monitor him around the clock, according to the documents — among more than 2,000 pages of Federal Bureau of Prisons records obtained by The New York Times after filing a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.

The detailed notes and reports compiled by those who interacted with Epstein during his 36 days of detention show how he repeatedly assured them he had much to live for, while also hinting that he was increasingly despondent. The clues prompted too little action by jail and bureau officials, who made mistake after mistake leading up to Epstein’s death, the records reveal.

Beyond the legal and administrative matters, the collection of records provides the most intimate and detailed look yet at Epstein’s final days, and offers something often missing from public accounts: his voice.

He passed many days closed in a conference room with his attorneys, avoiding the confines of his dank and dirty cell. In conversations with psychologists and other inmates, he spoke of his interest in physics and mathematics and offered tidbits of investment advice. He reminisced about socialising with celebrities, even as he complained about the running toilet in his cell, the orange prison garb, his difficulty sleeping, his dehydration and numbness in his right arm.

And where Epstein had once rubbed shoulders with politicians, scientists and Wall Street titans, now he was left to converse about the food in the 12-story detention centre.

“Epstein wants to know who’s the best cook on 11 North,” one inmate wrote.

The newly obtained records offer no support to the explosion of conspiracy theories that Epstein’s death was not a suicide. They also shed no light on questions raised by his brother and one of his attorneys that he might have been assisted in killing himself. But they do paint a picture of incompetence and sloppiness by some within the Bureau of Prisons, which runs the federal detention centre.

An intake screening form erroneously described Epstein as a Black male (he was white), and indicated that he had no prior sex offence convictions, even though he was a registered sex offender with two 2008 convictions in Florida, for solicitation of prostitution and procurement of minors to engage in prostitution. A few social phone calls he made were not recorded, logged or monitored, records show, an apparent violation of jail policy.

The night he killed himself, Epstein lied to jail officials and said he wanted to phone his mother — who was long dead. He instead called his girlfriend. Jail personnel left him alone in his cell that night, despite an explicit directive that he be assigned a cellmate.

Two days after the suicide, William Barr, then the US&nbsp;attorney general, said there were “serious irregularities” at the correctional centre, but did not elaborate. He later blamed “a perfect storm of screw-ups.”

A 15-page psychological reconstruction of Epstein’s death, compiled by bureau officials five weeks later and never before made public, concluded that his identity “appeared to be based on his wealth, power and association with other high-profile individuals.”

“The lack of significant interpersonal connections, a complete loss of his status in both the community and among associates, and the idea of potentially spending his life in prison,” the post-mortem continued, “were likely factors contributing to Mr. Epstein’s suicide.”

The Bureau of Prisons, in a statement, declined to comment on Epstein’s detention, but said “the safe, secure and humane housing of inmates is BOP’s highest priority.”

The bureau said it had created a task force to address the mental health implications of housing inmates alone, and was committed to improving its suicide prevention program, including “continuing to train BOP staff on suicide prevention, risk assessment and emergency responses.”

This fall, the Justice Department, citing poor conditions at the jail, also temporarily closed it, moving its prisoners to other facilities.

The Times obtained the materials after suing the Bureau of Prisons, which had repeatedly rejected its public-records requests. As part of a settlement, the agency agreed to turn over internal memos and emails, visitor logs, handwritten notes from inmates, and the psychological reconstruction of Epstein’s death. Many of the documents were heavily redacted; some were withheld entirely, including a number of records associated with the earlier suicide attempt.

At a hearing in April regarding the Times’ lawsuit, Judge Paul Engelmayer of US&nbsp;District Court in Manhattan said he was “struck by the audacity of the initial denial by the Bureau of Prisons” to make the records available in a case that he described as a “high-profile epic failure.”

“It certainly does raise a concern,” the judge added, “that the wagons are being circled.”

‘Talking About Celebs’

Epstein’s stay at the detention center began Saturday, July 6, 2019, after his arrest at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, where he had arrived from Paris on a private jet. An indictment charged that Epstein, 66, had over many years recruited dozens of teenage girls to engage in sex acts with him at his mansion in Manhattan and his estate in Palm Beach, Florida, paying them each hundreds of dollars in cash.

If convicted, he faced up to 45 years in prison.

He initially was placed in the general inmate population, the jail’s least restrictive area. In an internal email, Hugh Hurwitz, then the Bureau of Prisons’ acting director, later attributed this to an oversight by the U.S. Marshals Service. “Apparently USMS did not indicate that he was a high-profile inmate, and staff were unaware that he was coming so no plans had been established,” he wrote.

That evening, according to the post-mortem reconstruction, a facilities assistant found Epstein in his cell looking “distraught, sad and a little confused,” she said in an email to three jail officials.

When the assistant asked if he was OK, he said he was. But she was not convinced, she wrote. “He seems dazed and withdrawn.”

She added, “Just to be on the safe side and prevent any suicidal thoughts, can someone from Psychology come and talk with him?”

No one did at first, according to the records.

On Sunday, July 7, the center’s warden, Lamine N’Diaye, properly identified Epstein as “high-profile” and had him moved to the Special Housing Unit, or SHU, on the ninth floor, out of “concerns for his personal safety in general population,” according to Hurwitz’s email.

But it was not until 9:30 a.m. that Monday that Epstein was taken for an initial psychological evaluation, as had been suggested when he arrived.

That afternoon, Epstein was set to make his first court appearance. Anticipating that he would be denied bail, the jail’s chief psychologist recommended that he be evaluated for suicide risk upon his return, given the media attention and nature of the charges.

“Inmate Epstein will likely be receiving bad news in court today, and has multiple risk factors for suicidality as identified by BOP statistics,” the psychologist wrote. “Let’s be proactive.”

By the time Epstein returned, it was after normal business hours and he was moved to “psychological observation” — a less restrictive status than suicide watch — in which so-called inmate companions took shifts to monitor him in his cell and chronicled his actions every 15 minutes.

Epstein spent his nights pacing his cell, sleeping fitfully and talking with other inmates, according to handwritten notes taken by those observing him.

Often, the entries were mundane: “Epstein is drinking water at sink.” But some were more evocative, suggesting at once his grim predicament and his unrealistic expectations. “Epstein is sitting on the edge of the bed with his head in the palm of his hands,” one inmate wrote on July 29.

In conversations with his minders, Epstein seemed to stick to subjects that would convey the impression he was approachable, yet well connected and successful.

“Epstein and I are talking about the escort business,” an inmate wrote at 8 o’clock one evening. An hour later: “Epstein and I are talking about arbitrage.” Thirty minutes more: “Epstein is talking about celebs he knows.” (The notes do not name any celebrities.)

In another entry, an inmate noted that he and Epstein had talked about driving taxis in New York. “We both drove,” the inmate pointed out.

Throughout it all, Epstein remained curious about his surroundings.

On one of his first evenings, he asked an inmate, whose name was redacted from the records, “about the kinds of crazy things” he had seen in jail. Close to midnight, an inmate reported, Epstein was offered dinner “but refused because it was nasty. (He is right.)”

Epstein talked with an inmate for several hours late into the night about “prison life and etiquette,” according to another entry. Finally, at 2:35 a.m., the inmate noted, “Class is over.” Epstein was asleep in 10 minutes.

‘Being Alive Is Fun’

On the morning of Tuesday, July 9, Epstein underwent the requested formal, in-person suicide risk evaluation. The psychologist, whose name was redacted from the documents, found Epstein to be polite, cooperative, organized, coherent and even showing a sense of humour.

“Epstein adamantly denied any suicidal ideation, intention or plan,” she wrote in her notes. He requested a phone call, a meeting with his attorney, a shower and to brush his teeth.

Epstein described himself to her as a banker with a “big business” and said that “being alive is fun.” He denied having sexually abused anyone, and said he would have a renewed bail hearing the next week, where he believed he would be released.

“He was future-oriented,” the psychologist wrote.

She concluded that suicide watch was not warranted, but that “out of an abundance of caution” Epstein should remain on psychological observation.

The next day, Epstein asked “to be single-celled” but was told he could not be housed alone “for safety and security concerns.”

And the day after that, a psychologist wrote: “He was smirking and said, ‘Why would you ever think I would be suicidal? I am not suicidal and I would never be.’”

Epstein is quoted in the documents as saying he found support in his legal team, which included Reid Weingarten, his lead defense attorney, and Darren Indyke, a longtime personal attorney and an executor of his vast estate. Two other attorneys, Gulnora Tali and Mariel Colón Miró, visited him nearly every business day in the attorney conference room and served as witnesses on a will Epstein had drawn up two days before his death, according to visitor logs included in the documents.

The logs also are revealing for what they lack — any sign of visits by the famous and wealthy friends he socialized with after his 2008 sex-offense convictions in Florida. Instead, the logs show a far more mundane cast of visitors, including a parade of attorneys.

On July 18, it became apparent that Epstein was unlikely to return to his former life and friends anytime soon — if ever — when Judge Richard Berman denied a renewed bail request. Five days later, in the early morning hours of July 23, Epstein made his suicide attempt.

The denial of bail was cited as “a significant disappointment for Mr. Epstein and likely challenged his ability and willingness to adapt to incarceration,” according to the post-mortem psychological reconstruction.

“Given the potential impact of the judge’s decision, a psychologist should have assessed Mr. Epstein’s mental status upon his return to the institution,” it said.

He was removed from suicide watch after about 31 hours, according to the documents, and again placed on psychological observation.

In conversations with people from psychological services over the next week, Epstein repeatedly denied having suicidal thoughts. He smiled and cracked jokes. He told them he was Jewish, and suicide was against his religion.

He also reiterated complaints about the running toilet in his cell, which left him feeling agitated for hours. “He said he sat in the corner and held his ears,” a psychologist wrote. Epstein speculated that he might have autism, noting that Dustin Hoffman’s autistic character in “Rain Man” had an aversion to noise.

Some within the justice system voiced concern about his mental state. Federal marshals who escorted him to a July 31 court hearing returned with a “Prisoner Custody Alert Notice,” which said Epstein might have “suicidal tendencies.”

This prompted another suicide risk assessment by a psychologist. Epstein again denied having suicidal thoughts. The psychologist was persuaded, according to the documents, writing that a suicide watch was not warranted.

“He stated he lives for and plans to finish this case and to go back to his normal life,” the psychologist wrote.

Among the documents obtained by the Times was an undated sign, on orange paper, that read, “Mandatory rounds must be conducted every 30 minutes on Epstein&nbsp;#76318-054 as per god!”

The word “mandatory” was misspelled and underlined in pen, and a question mark was written in after it. The records offered no explanation of the sign, and bureau officials declined to answer questions about it.

The Last Day

When he arrived back in the SHU on July 30, Epstein was given a cellmate, Efrain Reyes, a prisoner who was assisting the government in a drug distribution conspiracy case. Epstein complained that the man’s talking kept him awake at night.

That all changed Aug. 9, when Reyes was transferred out of the jail and the staff was alerted that Epstein would need a new cellmate.

That same day — the day before Epstein died — as he huddled with his attorneys in a conference room, a federal appeals court unsealed about 2,000 pages of previously confidential documents in a defamation lawsuit against Ghislaine Maxwell, his longtime associate and former girlfriend. Maxwell, who was charged last year with sex trafficking and other offences, faces a trial this month in Manhattan.

The materials revealed highly disturbing details of Epstein’s alleged sex-trafficking ring, including graphic depositions, police reports and an Amazon receipt for books like “Training with Miss Abernathy: A Workbook for Erotic Slaves and Their Owners.”

Officials later surmised in the psychological reconstruction that the document release worsened his mental state, “further eroding his previously enjoyed elevated status and potentially implicating some of his associates.”

That evening, according to the reconstruction, a unit manager at the detention centre helped Epstein make a “social” phone call. The manager dialled for Epstein and let him speak for 15 minutes. The call was not properly logged and does not appear to have been recorded. It is not clear from the documents whether the call was on a monitored line.

“I asked inmate Epstein who he was calling,” the unit manager wrote. “He stated his mother.”

Epstein’s mother died in 2004. The call was to his 30-year-old girlfriend, Karyna Shuliak, whom he helped put through dental school, said three people with knowledge of the phone conversation. Epstein, they said, gave no indication during the call that he planned to kill himself.

The call that night, however, was not included in the phone logs provided to the Times by the Bureau of Prisons. The logs show only one social call during his stay — more than a week earlier, on July 30, to Shuliak.

She is one of the largest beneficiaries of several trusts that Epstein set up over the years, according to three people briefed on the matter. Shuliak declined to comment through her attorney, Maurice Sercarz.

After finishing the call, Epstein returned to his cell, where he was alone because no new cellmate had yet been assigned. He was also left unmonitored by two officers on duty, whom prosecutors later accused of spending their time surfing the internet and appearing to be asleep. (This May, the two officers entered into a deferred prosecution agreement on charges that they had falsified jail records about checking on Epstein.)

At 6:30 the next morning, he was found with a bedsheet tied around his neck like a noose. He was pronounced dead an hour later.

About two months after Epstein’s death, an inmate who appears to have worked in the kitchen emailed the psychology department about a conversation he had with a man whose cell had been next to Epstein’s.

He said the other inmate had told him: “Jeffrey Epstein definitely killed himself. Any conspiracy theories to the contrary are ridiculous.” The man had heard Epstein “tearing up his sheet before committing suicide,” the kitchen worker wrote.

“He wanted to kill himself and seized the opportunity when it was available,” he added. “Such is life -&nbsp;or death, in this case.”

The disgraced financier, jailed in Manhattan on federal sex trafficking charges involving teenage girls, was found unconscious on the floor of his cell one morning in July 2019, a strip of bedsheet tied around his bruised neck.

The disgraced financier, jailed in Manhattan on federal sex trafficking charges involving teenage girls, was found unconscious on the floor of his cell one morning in July 2019, a strip of bedsheet tied around his bruised neck. In the hours and days that followed that suicide attempt, Jeffrey Epstein would claim to be living a “wonderful life,” denying any thoughts of ending it, even as he sat on suicide watch and faced daunting legal troubles. “I have no interest in killing myself,” Epstein told a jailhouse psychologist, according to Bureau of Prisons documents that have not previously been made public. He was a “coward” and did not like pain, he explained. “I would not do that to myself.” But two weeks later, he did just that: He died in his cell Aug. 10 in the Metropolitan Correctional Center, having hanged himself with a bedsheet, the medical examiner ruled. After a life of manipulation, Epstein created illusions until the very end, deceiving correctional officers, counsellors and specially trained inmates assigned to monitor him around the clock, according to the documents — among more than 2,000 pages of Federal Bureau of Prisons records obtained by The New York Times after filing a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. The detailed notes and reports compiled by those who interacted with Epstein during his 36 days of detention show how he repeatedly assured them he had much to live for, while also hinting that he was increasingly despondent. The clues prompted too little action by jail and bureau officials, who made mistake after mistake leading up to Epstein’s death, the records reveal. Beyond the legal and administrative matters, the collection of records provides the most intimate and detailed look yet at Epstein’s final days, and offers something often missing from public accounts: his voice. He passed many days closed in a conference room with his attorneys, avoiding the confines of his dank and dirty cell. In conversations with psychologists and other inmates, he spoke of his interest in physics and mathematics and offered tidbits of investment advice. He reminisced about socialising with celebrities, even as he complained about the running toilet in his cell, the orange prison garb, his difficulty sleeping, his dehydration and numbness in his right arm. And where Epstein had once rubbed shoulders with politicians, scientists and Wall Street titans, now he was left to converse about the food in the 12-story detention centre. “Epstein wants to know who’s the best cook on 11 North,” one inmate wrote. The newly obtained records offer no support to the explosion of conspiracy theories that Epstein’s death was not a suicide. They also shed no light on questions raised by his brother and one of his attorneys that he might have been assisted in killing himself. But they do paint a picture of incompetence and sloppiness by some within the Bureau of Prisons, which runs the federal detention centre. An intake screening form erroneously described Epstein as a Black male (he was white), and indicated that he had no prior sex offence convictions, even though he was a registered sex offender with two 2008 convictions in Florida, for solicitation of prostitution and procurement of minors to engage in prostitution. A few social phone calls he made were not recorded, logged or monitored, records show, an apparent violation of jail policy. The night he killed himself, Epstein lied to jail officials and said he wanted to phone his mother — who was long dead. He instead called his girlfriend. Jail personnel left him alone in his cell that night, despite an explicit directive that he be assigned a cellmate. Two days after the suicide, William Barr, then the US attorney general, said there were “serious irregularities” at the correctional centre, but did not elaborate. He later blamed “a perfect storm of screw-ups.” A 15-page psychological reconstruction of Epstein’s death, compiled by bureau officials five weeks later and never before made public, concluded that his identity “appeared to be based on his wealth, power and association with other high-profile individuals.” “The lack of significant interpersonal connections, a complete loss of his status in both the community and among associates, and the idea of potentially spending his life in prison,” the post-mortem continued, “were likely factors contributing to Mr. Epstein’s suicide.” The Bureau of Prisons, in a statement, declined to comment on Epstein’s detention, but said “the safe, secure and humane housing of inmates is BOP’s highest priority.” The bureau said it had created a task force to address the mental health implications of housing inmates alone, and was committed to improving its suicide prevention program, including “continuing to train BOP staff on suicide prevention, risk assessment and emergency responses.” This fall, the Justice Department, citing poor conditions at the jail, also temporarily closed it, moving its prisoners to other facilities. The Times obtained the materials after suing the Bureau of Prisons, which had repeatedly rejected its public-records requests. As part of a settlement, the agency agreed to turn over internal memos and emails, visitor logs, handwritten notes from inmates, and the psychological reconstruction of Epstein’s death. Many of the documents were heavily redacted; some were withheld entirely, including a number of records associated with the earlier suicide attempt. At a hearing in April regarding the Times’ lawsuit, Judge Paul Engelmayer of US District Court in Manhattan said he was “struck by the audacity of the initial denial by the Bureau of Prisons” to make the records available in a case that he described as a “high-profile epic failure.” “It certainly does raise a concern,” the judge added, “that the wagons are being circled.” ‘Talking About Celebs’ Epstein’s stay at the detention center began Saturday, July 6, 2019, after his arrest at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey, where he had arrived from Paris on a private jet. An indictment charged that Epstein, 66, had over many years recruited dozens of teenage girls to engage in sex acts with him at his mansion in Manhattan and his estate in Palm Beach, Florida, paying them each hundreds of dollars in cash. If convicted, he faced up to 45 years in prison. He initially was placed in the general inmate population, the jail’s least restrictive area. In an internal email, Hugh Hurwitz, then the Bureau of Prisons’ acting director, later attributed this to an oversight by the U.S. Marshals Service. “Apparently USMS did not indicate that he was a high-profile inmate, and staff were unaware that he was coming so no plans had been established,” he wrote. That evening, according to the post-mortem reconstruction, a facilities assistant found Epstein in his cell looking “distraught, sad and a little confused,” she said in an email to three jail officials. When the assistant asked if he was OK, he said he was. But she was not convinced, she wrote. “He seems dazed and withdrawn.” She added, “Just to be on the safe side and prevent any suicidal thoughts, can someone from Psychology come and talk with him?” No one did at first, according to the records. On Sunday, July 7, the center’s warden, Lamine N’Diaye, properly identified Epstein as “high-profile” and had him moved to the Special Housing Unit, or SHU, on the ninth floor, out of “concerns for his personal safety in general population,” according to Hurwitz’s email. But it was not until 9:30 a.m. that Monday that Epstein was taken for an initial psychological evaluation, as had been suggested when he arrived. That afternoon, Epstein was set to make his first court appearance. Anticipating that he would be denied bail, the jail’s chief psychologist recommended that he be evaluated for suicide risk upon his return, given the media attention and nature of the charges. “Inmate Epstein will likely be receiving bad news in court today, and has multiple risk factors for suicidality as identified by BOP statistics,” the psychologist wrote. “Let’s be proactive.” By the time Epstein returned, it was after normal business hours and he was moved to “psychological observation” — a less restrictive status than suicide watch — in which so-called inmate companions took shifts to monitor him in his cell and chronicled his actions every 15 minutes. Epstein spent his nights pacing his cell, sleeping fitfully and talking with other inmates, according to handwritten notes taken by those observing him. Often, the entries were mundane: “Epstein is drinking water at sink.” But some were more evocative, suggesting at once his grim predicament and his unrealistic expectations. “Epstein is sitting on the edge of the bed with his head in the palm of his hands,” one inmate wrote on July 29. In conversations with his minders, Epstein seemed to stick to subjects that would convey the impression he was approachable, yet well connected and successful. “Epstein and I are talking about the escort business,” an inmate wrote at 8 o’clock one evening. An hour later: “Epstein and I are talking about arbitrage.” Thirty minutes more: “Epstein is talking about celebs he knows.” (The notes do not name any celebrities.) In another entry, an inmate noted that he and Epstein had talked about driving taxis in New York. “We both drove,” the inmate pointed out. Throughout it all, Epstein remained curious about his surroundings. On one of his first evenings, he asked an inmate, whose name was redacted from the records, “about the kinds of crazy things” he had seen in jail. Close to midnight, an inmate reported, Epstein was offered dinner “but refused because it was nasty. (He is right.)” Epstein talked with an inmate for several hours late into the night about “prison life and etiquette,” according to another entry. Finally, at 2:35 a.m., the inmate noted, “Class is over.” Epstein was asleep in 10 minutes. ‘Being Alive Is Fun’ On the morning of Tuesday, July 9, Epstein underwent the requested formal, in-person suicide risk evaluation. The psychologist, whose name was redacted from the documents, found Epstein to be polite, cooperative, organized, coherent and even showing a sense of humour. “Epstein adamantly denied any suicidal ideation, intention or plan,” she wrote in her notes. He requested a phone call, a meeting with his attorney, a shower and to brush his teeth. Epstein described himself to her as a banker with a “big business” and said that “being alive is fun.” He denied having sexually abused anyone, and said he would have a renewed bail hearing the next week, where he believed he would be released. “He was future-oriented,” the psychologist wrote. She concluded that suicide watch was not warranted, but that “out of an abundance of caution” Epstein should remain on psychological observation. The next day, Epstein asked “to be single-celled” but was told he could not be housed alone “for safety and security concerns.” And the day after that, a psychologist wrote: “He was smirking and said, ‘Why would you ever think I would be suicidal? I am not suicidal and I would never be.’” Epstein is quoted in the documents as saying he found support in his legal team, which included Reid Weingarten, his lead defense attorney, and Darren Indyke, a longtime personal attorney and an executor of his vast estate. Two other attorneys, Gulnora Tali and Mariel Colón Miró, visited him nearly every business day in the attorney conference room and served as witnesses on a will Epstein had drawn up two days before his death, according to visitor logs included in the documents. The logs also are revealing for what they lack — any sign of visits by the famous and wealthy friends he socialized with after his 2008 sex-offense convictions in Florida. Instead, the logs show a far more mundane cast of visitors, including a parade of attorneys. On July 18, it became apparent that Epstein was unlikely to return to his former life and friends anytime soon — if ever — when Judge Richard Berman denied a renewed bail request. Five days later, in the early morning hours of July 23, Epstein made his suicide attempt. The denial of bail was cited as “a significant disappointment for Mr. Epstein and likely challenged his ability and willingness to adapt to incarceration,” according to the post-mortem psychological reconstruction. “Given the potential impact of the judge’s decision, a psychologist should have assessed Mr. Epstein’s mental status upon his return to the institution,” it said. He was removed from suicide watch after about 31 hours, according to the documents, and again placed on psychological observation. In conversations with people from psychological services over the next week, Epstein repeatedly denied having suicidal thoughts. He smiled and cracked jokes. He told them he was Jewish, and suicide was against his religion. He also reiterated complaints about the running toilet in his cell, which left him feeling agitated for hours. “He said he sat in the corner and held his ears,” a psychologist wrote. Epstein speculated that he might have autism, noting that Dustin Hoffman’s autistic character in “Rain Man” had an aversion to noise. Some within the justice system voiced concern about his mental state. Federal marshals who escorted him to a July 31 court hearing returned with a “Prisoner Custody Alert Notice,” which said Epstein might have “suicidal tendencies.” This prompted another suicide risk assessment by a psychologist. Epstein again denied having suicidal thoughts. The psychologist was persuaded, according to the documents, writing that a suicide watch was not warranted. “He stated he lives for and plans to finish this case and to go back to his normal life,” the psychologist wrote. Among the documents obtained by the Times was an undated sign, on orange paper, that read, “Mandatory rounds must be conducted every 30 minutes on Epstein #76318-054 as per god!” The word “mandatory” was misspelled and underlined in pen, and a question mark was written in after it. The records offered no explanation of the sign, and bureau officials declined to answer questions about it. The Last Day When he arrived back in the SHU on July 30, Epstein was given a cellmate, Efrain Reyes, a prisoner who was assisting the government in a drug distribution conspiracy case. Epstein complained that the man’s talking kept him awake at night. That all changed Aug. 9, when Reyes was transferred out of the jail and the staff was alerted that Epstein would need a new cellmate. That same day — the day before Epstein died — as he huddled with his attorneys in a conference room, a federal appeals court unsealed about 2,000 pages of previously confidential documents in a defamation lawsuit against Ghislaine Maxwell, his longtime associate and former girlfriend. Maxwell, who was charged last year with sex trafficking and other offences, faces a trial this month in Manhattan. The materials revealed highly disturbing details of Epstein’s alleged sex-trafficking ring, including graphic depositions, police reports and an Amazon receipt for books like “Training with Miss Abernathy: A Workbook for Erotic Slaves and Their Owners.” Officials later surmised in the psychological reconstruction that the document release worsened his mental state, “further eroding his previously enjoyed elevated status and potentially implicating some of his associates.” That evening, according to the reconstruction, a unit manager at the detention centre helped Epstein make a “social” phone call. The manager dialled for Epstein and let him speak for 15 minutes. The call was not properly logged and does not appear to have been recorded. It is not clear from the documents whether the call was on a monitored line. “I asked inmate Epstein who he was calling,” the unit manager wrote. “He stated his mother.” Epstein’s mother died in 2004. The call was to his 30-year-old girlfriend, Karyna Shuliak, whom he helped put through dental school, said three people with knowledge of the phone conversation. Epstein, they said, gave no indication during the call that he planned to kill himself. The call that night, however, was not included in the phone logs provided to the Times by the Bureau of Prisons. The logs show only one social call during his stay — more than a week earlier, on July 30, to Shuliak. She is one of the largest beneficiaries of several trusts that Epstein set up over the years, according to three people briefed on the matter. Shuliak declined to comment through her attorney, Maurice Sercarz. After finishing the call, Epstein returned to his cell, where he was alone because no new cellmate had yet been assigned. He was also left unmonitored by two officers on duty, whom prosecutors later accused of spending their time surfing the internet and appearing to be asleep. (This May, the two officers entered into a deferred prosecution agreement on charges that they had falsified jail records about checking on Epstein.) At 6:30 the next morning, he was found with a bedsheet tied around his neck like a noose. He was pronounced dead an hour later. About two months after Epstein’s death, an inmate who appears to have worked in the kitchen emailed the psychology department about a conversation he had with a man whose cell had been next to Epstein’s. He said the other inmate had told him: “Jeffrey Epstein definitely killed himself. Any conspiracy theories to the contrary are ridiculous.” The man had heard Epstein “tearing up his sheet before committing suicide,” the kitchen worker wrote. “He wanted to kill himself and seized the opportunity when it was available,” he added. “Such is life - or death, in this case.”

I have no interest in killing myself, Epstein told jail psychologist days before he was found dead

Alleged victims of Jeffrey Epstein wept in court Tuesday as they told an extraordinary US hearing held weeks after his death how they were sexually abused by the disgraced financier.

More than a dozen women -- some speaking through tears, others with their voices breaking -- described how he "stole" their dreams and "robbed" them of their innocence.

Epstein, 66, hung himself in his New York prison cell earlier this month while awaiting trial on charges he trafficked young women for sex, depriving alleged victims of their day in court.&nbsp;

Tuesday's hearing was scheduled so they could tell their stories before the case against him is dismissed. It was the first time most of the women had spoken publicly about Epstein.

"Today we stand together. I will not remain a victim and be silent for one more day," said actress Anouska De Georgiou, who said she was sexually abused by Epstein.&nbsp;

The women hugged and consoled each after returning from the podium where they addressed the Manhattan federal court, some reading from statements others going without.

A few cried as they listened to testimony that sounded all too familiar to their own: vulnerable young women who were recruited, groomed, and then coerced into having sex with a multi-millionaire.

Chauntae Davies described how she spent two weeks "vomiting myself to death" in a hospital after being raped by Epstein after she was recruited to give him massages, detailing his "sick abuse of young girls."

"Every public humiliation I have endured I have suffered and he has won," she said.

Another victim, who asked to remain anonymous, said she was "haunted forever" by being raped by Epstein.

"I was his slave. I felt powerless and ashamed," she said, adding that Epstein had threatened to kill her if she wasn't a virgin.

- 'He did not act alone' - 
The majority of those who spoke expressed their outrage at Epstein's suicide on August 10.

"I feel very angry and sad because justice has never been served in this case," said Courtney Wild, describing Epstein as a "coward."

Jennifer Araoz said that "even in death Jeffrey Epstein is trying to hurt me."

"The fact that I will never have a chance to face my predator in court eats away at my soul," she told the court.

Annie Farmer said that she and her sister had tried to tell law enforcement officials about Epstein as far back as 1996 but to no avail.

Several of the accusers said they were recruited by Epstein's former lover, the British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, daughter of late British media baron Robert Maxwell.

They urged prosecutors to go after co-conspirators. Maxwell has denied allegations against her.&nbsp;

"Please, please, please finish what you started. US victims are prepared to tell the truth. He did not act alone," Sarah Ransome, told the court, saying Epstein ran an "international sex trafficking ring."

Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who says she was abused by Epstein for years and farmed out to his wealthy friends including Britain's Prince Andrew, said "the reckoning must not end, it must continue."

Giuffre has said she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew three times, an allegation he has repeatedly and strenuously denied.

"He knows exactly what he's done and I hope he comes clean about it," she told reporters after the hearing.

US government attorney Maurene Comey assured them prosecutors would pursue investigations.

Epstein, who befriended many celebrities and politicians over the years, including Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, was arrested in July and charged with trafficking girls as young as 14 for sex.

- 'Courage' -

He faced up to 45 years in prison if convicted.

Epstein was previously convicted in 2008 in a Florida state court for paying young girls for sexual massages.&nbsp;

He served just 13 months in jail under a plea deal that did not see his accusers testify in court.

Judge Richard Berman described Epstein's suicide as a "stunning turn of events."&nbsp;

Epstein's lawyer Martin Weinberg said the defence team were sceptical that Epstein had killed himself and called on the judge to open his own investigation.

"We deeply want to know what happened to our client," he said.

The US government and the FBI are already investigating and Berman was non-committal.

Sixteen women addressed the court while lawyers read out statements on behalf of seven other accusers.

Judge Berman said Tuesday's hearing had been called out of respect for the victims and praised them for "their courage to come forward."

Alleged victims of Jeffrey Epstein wept in court Tuesday as they told an extraordinary US hearing held weeks after his death how they were sexually abused by the disgraced financier.

Alleged victims of Jeffrey Epstein wept in court Tuesday as they told an extraordinary US hearing held weeks after his death how they were sexually abused by the disgraced financier. More than a dozen women -- some speaking through tears, others with their voices breaking -- described how he "stole" their dreams and "robbed" them of their innocence. Epstein, 66, hung himself in his New York prison cell earlier this month while awaiting trial on charges he trafficked young women for sex, depriving alleged victims of their day in court. Tuesday's hearing was scheduled so they could tell their stories before the case against him is dismissed. It was the first time most of the women had spoken publicly about Epstein. "Today we stand together. I will not remain a victim and be silent for one more day," said actress Anouska De Georgiou, who said she was sexually abused by Epstein. The women hugged and consoled each after returning from the podium where they addressed the Manhattan federal court, some reading from statements others going without. A few cried as they listened to testimony that sounded all too familiar to their own: vulnerable young women who were recruited, groomed, and then coerced into having sex with a multi-millionaire. Chauntae Davies described how she spent two weeks "vomiting myself to death" in a hospital after being raped by Epstein after she was recruited to give him massages, detailing his "sick abuse of young girls." "Every public humiliation I have endured I have suffered and he has won," she said. Another victim, who asked to remain anonymous, said she was "haunted forever" by being raped by Epstein. "I was his slave. I felt powerless and ashamed," she said, adding that Epstein had threatened to kill her if she wasn't a virgin. - 'He did not act alone' - The majority of those who spoke expressed their outrage at Epstein's suicide on August 10. "I feel very angry and sad because justice has never been served in this case," said Courtney Wild, describing Epstein as a "coward." Jennifer Araoz said that "even in death Jeffrey Epstein is trying to hurt me." "The fact that I will never have a chance to face my predator in court eats away at my soul," she told the court. Annie Farmer said that she and her sister had tried to tell law enforcement officials about Epstein as far back as 1996 but to no avail. Several of the accusers said they were recruited by Epstein's former lover, the British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, daughter of late British media baron Robert Maxwell. They urged prosecutors to go after co-conspirators. Maxwell has denied allegations against her. "Please, please, please finish what you started. US victims are prepared to tell the truth. He did not act alone," Sarah Ransome, told the court, saying Epstein ran an "international sex trafficking ring." Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who says she was abused by Epstein for years and farmed out to his wealthy friends including Britain's Prince Andrew, said "the reckoning must not end, it must continue." Giuffre has said she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew three times, an allegation he has repeatedly and strenuously denied. "He knows exactly what he's done and I hope he comes clean about it," she told reporters after the hearing. US government attorney Maurene Comey assured them prosecutors would pursue investigations. Epstein, who befriended many celebrities and politicians over the years, including Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, was arrested in July and charged with trafficking girls as young as 14 for sex. - 'Courage' - He faced up to 45 years in prison if convicted. Epstein was previously convicted in 2008 in a Florida state court for paying young girls for sexual massages. He served just 13 months in jail under a plea deal that did not see his accusers testify in court. Judge Richard Berman described Epstein's suicide as a "stunning turn of events." Epstein's lawyer Martin Weinberg said the defence team were sceptical that Epstein had killed himself and called on the judge to open his own investigation. "We deeply want to know what happened to our client," he said. The US government and the FBI are already investigating and Berman was non-committal. Sixteen women addressed the court while lawyers read out statements on behalf of seven other accusers. Judge Berman said Tuesday's hearing had been called out of respect for the victims and praised them for "their courage to come forward."

Jeffrey Epstein accusers detail sexual abuse claims in emotional court hearing

Britain's Prince Andrew insisted on Saturday that "at no stage" during his friendship with convicted paedophile <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/jeffrey-epstein-wrote-will-two-days-before-death-puts-578-million-in-assets-into-trust-with-unnamed-beneficiaries-report-244262">Jeffrey Epstein</a> did he "witness... any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest".

The prince, Queen Elizabeth II's second son, is under heavy fire over his relationship with the disgraced US financier, and admitted in a statement on Saturday that "it was a mistake and an error to see him after his release in 2010".

"At no stage during the limited time I spent with him did I see, witness or suspect any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest and conviction."

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/psychologist-approved-jeffreys-epsteins-removal-from-suicide-watch-245240">Epstein</a> was found dead in his cell earlier this month, and the prince was once more drawn into the story after a video was released purporting to show him at the criminal's home in 2010.

Epstein had pleaded guilty in 2008 to procuring for prostitution a girl under the age of 18 and served 13 months in prison before being released on probation.

"I was mistaken to think that what I thought I knew of him was evidently not the real person, given what we now know," said Andrew.

"This is a difficult time for everyone involved and I am at a loss to be able to understand or explain Mr Epstein's lifestyle," he added.

The video was the latest in a string of revelations about Prince Andrew's friendship with Epstein in British tabloids.

The Mail on Monday said the prince had hosted Epstein at Balmoral, Queen Elizabeth II's home in Scotland, in 1999 at a time when the monarch may have been in residence.

He also reportedly hosted Epstein at Sandringham, another royal residence in eastern England, a year later.

Epstein died in a federal jail in Manhattan on August 10 as he awaited trial charged with one count of sex trafficking of minors and one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors.

A coroner ruled that he committed suicide by hanging.

Over the years, the financier hobnobbed with politicians, socialites and celebrities, including Donald Trump before he was president, and Bill Clinton.

Virginia Giuffre -- previously Virginia Roberts -- one of Epstein's alleged victims, has testified that she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew in London when she was 17. She said she had sex with him again in New York and on Epstein's private island in the Caribbean.

But the allegations were struck from the record by a US judge in 2015, who said the "lurid details" were not needed to decide a civil case concerning Epstein.

Buckingham Palace has repeatedly and strenuously denied the claims, calling them "false and without foundation".

The prince said he deplored "the exploitation of any human being and would not condone, participate in, or encourage any such behaviour."

Britain's Prince Andrew insisted on Saturday that "at no stage" during his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein did he "witness... any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest".

Britain's Prince Andrew insisted on Saturday that "at no stage" during his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein did he "witness... any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest". The prince, Queen Elizabeth II's second son, is under heavy fire over his relationship with the disgraced US financier, and admitted in a statement on Saturday that "it was a mistake and an error to see him after his release in 2010". "At no stage during the limited time I spent with him did I see, witness or suspect any behaviour of the sort that subsequently led to his arrest and conviction." Epstein was found dead in his cell earlier this month, and the prince was once more drawn into the story after a video was released purporting to show him at the criminal's home in 2010. Epstein had pleaded guilty in 2008 to procuring for prostitution a girl under the age of 18 and served 13 months in prison before being released on probation. "I was mistaken to think that what I thought I knew of him was evidently not the real person, given what we now know," said Andrew. "This is a difficult time for everyone involved and I am at a loss to be able to understand or explain Mr Epstein's lifestyle," he added. The video was the latest in a string of revelations about Prince Andrew's friendship with Epstein in British tabloids. The Mail on Monday said the prince had hosted Epstein at Balmoral, Queen Elizabeth II's home in Scotland, in 1999 at a time when the monarch may have been in residence. He also reportedly hosted Epstein at Sandringham, another royal residence in eastern England, a year later. Epstein died in a federal jail in Manhattan on August 10 as he awaited trial charged with one count of sex trafficking of minors and one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors. A coroner ruled that he committed suicide by hanging. Over the years, the financier hobnobbed with politicians, socialites and celebrities, including Donald Trump before he was president, and Bill Clinton. Virginia Giuffre -- previously Virginia Roberts -- one of Epstein's alleged victims, has testified that she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew in London when she was 17. She said she had sex with him again in New York and on Epstein's private island in the Caribbean. But the allegations were struck from the record by a US judge in 2015, who said the "lurid details" were not needed to decide a civil case concerning Epstein. Buckingham Palace has repeatedly and strenuously denied the claims, calling them "false and without foundation". The prince said he deplored "the exploitation of any human being and would not condone, participate in, or encourage any such behaviour."

Britain's Prince Andrew denies witnessing Epstein abuse

A psychologist at the federal detention centre in New York City where<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/france-opens-epstein-linked-rape-abuse-probe-245196"> financier Jeffrey Epstein</a> was jailed on sex-trafficking charges had approved his removal from suicide watch before he killed himself, the US Justice Department said on Friday.

The disclosure came in a letter dated on Thursday from Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd and addressed to the leaders of the Judiciary Committee of the US House of Representatives, seeking details about the circumstances surrounding <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/jeffrey-epstein-wrote-will-two-days-before-death-puts-578-million-in-assets-into-trust-with-unnamed-beneficiaries-report-244262">Epstein`s death</a> earlier this month.

Epstein, who was 66, was found dead August 10 in his cell inside a segregated housing unit of the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in Lower Manhattan. An autopsy concluded that he hanged himself. 
His death triggered investigations by the FBI, the Justice Department`s Office of Inspector General and the US Bureau of Prisons, which runs the detention facility.

The Boyd letter, provided to Reuters on Friday, confirmed that Epstein had been placed on suicide watch in July, a status under which the designated prisoner is held in a special cell under constant observation by staff or "inmate companions."

Epstein was "later removed from suicide watch after being evaluated by a doctoral-level psychologist who determined that a suicide watch was no longer warranted," Boyd wrote in the three-page letter.

The letter did not state precisely why a suicide watch had been ordered for Epstein. But Epstein in July had been found unconscious on the floor of his cell with marks on his neck, and officials had been investigating that incident as a possible suicide attempt or assault.

In addition to being housed in a special chamber affording an unobstructed view of the occupant and easy entry from the outside, inmates on suicide watch are evaluated daily by a psychologist, the letter said.

Typically imposed as a short-term restriction, suicide watch in Bureau of Prisons facilities can only be terminated by a bureau psychologist following a face-to-face evaluation of the inmate, Boyd wrote. No reason was given for Epstein`s removal.

At the MCC, two jail guards are required to make separate checks on all prisoners every 30 minutes, but that procedure was not followed overnight, a source has told Reuters.

US Attorney General William Barr last week ordered the reassignment of the warden in charge of the Lower Manhattan detention facility, along with a temporary replacement and the placement of two corrections officers assigned to Epstein`s unit on administrative leave for the duration of the probes.

The staff shakeup came hours after President Donald Trump called for a full investigation of the matter.

Epstein, who once counted Trump and former President Bill Clinton as friends, was arrested on July 6 and pleaded not guilty to federal charges of sex trafficking involving dozens of girls as young as 14.

Just two days before his death, Epstein had signed a will placing all of his property, worth more than $577 million, in a trust called the 1953 Trust, after the year of his birth, according to a copy of the document seen by Reuters.

A psychologist at the federal detention centre in New York City where financier Jeffrey Epstein was jailed on sex-trafficking charges had approved his removal from suicide watch before he killed himself, the US Justice Department said on Friday.

A psychologist at the federal detention centre in New York City where financier Jeffrey Epstein was jailed on sex-trafficking charges had approved his removal from suicide watch before he killed himself, the US Justice Department said on Friday. The disclosure came in a letter dated on Thursday from Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd and addressed to the leaders of the Judiciary Committee of the US House of Representatives, seeking details about the circumstances surrounding Epstein`s death earlier this month. Epstein, who was 66, was found dead August 10 in his cell inside a segregated housing unit of the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in Lower Manhattan. An autopsy concluded that he hanged himself. His death triggered investigations by the FBI, the Justice Department`s Office of Inspector General and the US Bureau of Prisons, which runs the detention facility. The Boyd letter, provided to Reuters on Friday, confirmed that Epstein had been placed on suicide watch in July, a status under which the designated prisoner is held in a special cell under constant observation by staff or "inmate companions." Epstein was "later removed from suicide watch after being evaluated by a doctoral-level psychologist who determined that a suicide watch was no longer warranted," Boyd wrote in the three-page letter. The letter did not state precisely why a suicide watch had been ordered for Epstein. But Epstein in July had been found unconscious on the floor of his cell with marks on his neck, and officials had been investigating that incident as a possible suicide attempt or assault. In addition to being housed in a special chamber affording an unobstructed view of the occupant and easy entry from the outside, inmates on suicide watch are evaluated daily by a psychologist, the letter said. Typically imposed as a short-term restriction, suicide watch in Bureau of Prisons facilities can only be terminated by a bureau psychologist following a face-to-face evaluation of the inmate, Boyd wrote. No reason was given for Epstein`s removal. At the MCC, two jail guards are required to make separate checks on all prisoners every 30 minutes, but that procedure was not followed overnight, a source has told Reuters. US Attorney General William Barr last week ordered the reassignment of the warden in charge of the Lower Manhattan detention facility, along with a temporary replacement and the placement of two corrections officers assigned to Epstein`s unit on administrative leave for the duration of the probes. The staff shakeup came hours after President Donald Trump called for a full investigation of the matter. Epstein, who once counted Trump and former President Bill Clinton as friends, was arrested on July 6 and pleaded not guilty to federal charges of sex trafficking involving dozens of girls as young as 14. Just two days before his death, Epstein had signed a will placing all of his property, worth more than $577 million, in a trust called the 1953 Trust, after the year of his birth, according to a copy of the document seen by Reuters.

Psychologist approved Jeffrey's Epstein's removal from suicide watch

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he wants a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/first-fbi-now-justice-department-probing-jeffrey-epstein-death-242081">full investigation into the circumstances</a> surrounding financier Jeffrey Epstein`s death at a federal detention facility in New York City while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/serious-irregularities-at-prison-where-epstein-died-us-attorney-general-242548">Epstein </a>was found dead on Saturday morning, having apparently hanged himself in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in lower Manhattan.

"Basically what we`re saying is we want an investigation. I want a full investigation, and that`s what I absolutely am demanding. That`s what our attorney general, our great attorney general is doing. He`s doing a full investigation," Trump told reporters in Morristown, New Jersey.

Trump made the comments a day after U.S. Attorney General William Barr vowed to carry on the Epstein investigation even after the wealthy and well-connected money manager`s death. Barr has ordered the Justice Department`s inspector general to look into the matter.

Trump also defended his decision on Saturday to retweet an unfounded conspiracy theory from a conservative comedian named Terrence K. Williams that former President Bill Clinton was involved in Epstein`s death.

"He`s a very highly respected conservative pundit," said of Williams. "He`s a big Trump fan. And that was a retweet. That wasn`t from me. ... So I think I was fine."

Epstein, who once counted Trump and Clinton as friends, was arrested on July 6 and pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking involving dozens of underage girls as young as 14.

The 66-year-old financier had been on suicide watch, but a source familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity said he was not on watch at the time of his death.&nbsp;

At the MCC, two jail guards are required to make separate checks on all prisoners every 30 minutes, but that procedure was not followed overnight, according to the source.

New York City`s medical examiner has said an autopsy on Epstein was completed on Sunday, but the cause of death remained pending. 
A growing chorus of lawmakers has demanded that the government hold responsible people who allegedly helped Epstein engage in sex trafficking.

Senator Ben Sasse, the Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Oversight Subcommittee, on Tuesday called on Barr to void a 2008 agreement that Epstein entered into with federal prosecutors in Florida that has been widely criticized as too lenient.

Under that deal, Epstein pleaded guilty to state prostitution charges and served 13 months in jail, but was allowed to leave the detention facility regularly for his office.

'Crooked deal'

Some of Epstein`s accusers have called on the federal judge overseeing that case to scrap portions of the agreement, which provided immunity to Epstein`s alleged co-conspirators. In a letter to Barr, Sasse said the agreement should be thrown out altogether.

"This crooked deal cannot stand," and should be voided to "ensure that some measure of justice is finally delivered to Epstein`s victims who have been let down time and time again by their government," Sasse said.

One of the prosecutors involved in the 2008 agreement, Alexander Acosta, resigned as Trump`s labor secretary in July as the Epstein deal came under fresh scrutiny after the financier`s arrest in New York.

Jerrold Nadler, the Democratic chairman of the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, and Doug Collins, the panel`s top Republican, on Monday sent a letter to the acting director of the federal Bureau of Prisons regarding Epstein`s death, saying the "competency and rigor of our criminal justice system" have been marred.

The lawmakers said if the allegation about mistakes made at the facility is true, it would demonstrate "severe miscarriages of or deficiencies in inmate protocol and has allowed the deceased to ultimately evade facing justice."

A representative for the agency and its acting director, Hugh Hurwitz, were not immediately available to comment.

The Epstein scandal has also enmeshed Leslie Wexner, the billionaire chairman and chief executive behind Victoria`s Secret and Bath &amp; Body Works parent L Brands Inc , who had previously entrusted Epstein to manage his personal finances and serve as trustee of his charitable foundation.

Wexner recently hired white-collar defense lawyer Mary Jo White, a partner at Debevoise &amp; Plimpton LLP and former US attorney in Manhattan, according to a person familiar with the matter, as scrutiny of Epstein`s finances intensifies.

Wexner has not been accused of criminal wrongdoing.

White, who previously chaired the US Securities and Exchange Commission, has reached out to prosecutors working on the case, the person familiar with the matter said. It was not clear what they discussed.

Neither White nor a representative for Wexner immediately responded to requests for comment. A spokesman for US Attorney Geoffrey Berman in Manhattan declined to comment.

Last week, Wexner said Epstein had "misappropriated vast sums of money from me and my family."

Wexner also said he and his family had decided Epstein should step back from managing their finances by the fall of 2007 after sexual misconduct allegations emerged, and severed ties after discovering that their money was misused.

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he wants a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding financier Jeffrey Epstein`s death at a federal detention facility in New York City while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he wants a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding financier Jeffrey Epstein`s death at a federal detention facility in New York City while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Epstein was found dead on Saturday morning, having apparently hanged himself in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in lower Manhattan. "Basically what we`re saying is we want an investigation. I want a full investigation, and that`s what I absolutely am demanding. That`s what our attorney general, our great attorney general is doing. He`s doing a full investigation," Trump told reporters in Morristown, New Jersey. Trump made the comments a day after U.S. Attorney General William Barr vowed to carry on the Epstein investigation even after the wealthy and well-connected money manager`s death. Barr has ordered the Justice Department`s inspector general to look into the matter. Trump also defended his decision on Saturday to retweet an unfounded conspiracy theory from a conservative comedian named Terrence K. Williams that former President Bill Clinton was involved in Epstein`s death. "He`s a very highly respected conservative pundit," said of Williams. "He`s a big Trump fan. And that was a retweet. That wasn`t from me. ... So I think I was fine." Epstein, who once counted Trump and Clinton as friends, was arrested on July 6 and pleaded not guilty to charges of sex trafficking involving dozens of underage girls as young as 14. The 66-year-old financier had been on suicide watch, but a source familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity said he was not on watch at the time of his death. At the MCC, two jail guards are required to make separate checks on all prisoners every 30 minutes, but that procedure was not followed overnight, according to the source. New York City`s medical examiner has said an autopsy on Epstein was completed on Sunday, but the cause of death remained pending. A growing chorus of lawmakers has demanded that the government hold responsible people who allegedly helped Epstein engage in sex trafficking. Senator Ben Sasse, the Republican chairman of the Senate Judiciary Oversight Subcommittee, on Tuesday called on Barr to void a 2008 agreement that Epstein entered into with federal prosecutors in Florida that has been widely criticized as too lenient. Under that deal, Epstein pleaded guilty to state prostitution charges and served 13 months in jail, but was allowed to leave the detention facility regularly for his office. 'Crooked deal' Some of Epstein`s accusers have called on the federal judge overseeing that case to scrap portions of the agreement, which provided immunity to Epstein`s alleged co-conspirators. In a letter to Barr, Sasse said the agreement should be thrown out altogether. "This crooked deal cannot stand," and should be voided to "ensure that some measure of justice is finally delivered to Epstein`s victims who have been let down time and time again by their government," Sasse said. One of the prosecutors involved in the 2008 agreement, Alexander Acosta, resigned as Trump`s labor secretary in July as the Epstein deal came under fresh scrutiny after the financier`s arrest in New York. Jerrold Nadler, the Democratic chairman of the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, and Doug Collins, the panel`s top Republican, on Monday sent a letter to the acting director of the federal Bureau of Prisons regarding Epstein`s death, saying the "competency and rigor of our criminal justice system" have been marred. The lawmakers said if the allegation about mistakes made at the facility is true, it would demonstrate "severe miscarriages of or deficiencies in inmate protocol and has allowed the deceased to ultimately evade facing justice." A representative for the agency and its acting director, Hugh Hurwitz, were not immediately available to comment. The Epstein scandal has also enmeshed Leslie Wexner, the billionaire chairman and chief executive behind Victoria`s Secret and Bath & Body Works parent L Brands Inc , who had previously entrusted Epstein to manage his personal finances and serve as trustee of his charitable foundation. Wexner recently hired white-collar defense lawyer Mary Jo White, a partner at Debevoise & Plimpton LLP and former US attorney in Manhattan, according to a person familiar with the matter, as scrutiny of Epstein`s finances intensifies. Wexner has not been accused of criminal wrongdoing. White, who previously chaired the US Securities and Exchange Commission, has reached out to prosecutors working on the case, the person familiar with the matter said. It was not clear what they discussed. Neither White nor a representative for Wexner immediately responded to requests for comment. A spokesman for US Attorney Geoffrey Berman in Manhattan declined to comment. Last week, Wexner said Epstein had "misappropriated vast sums of money from me and my family." Wexner also said he and his family had decided Epstein should step back from managing their finances by the fall of 2007 after sexual misconduct allegations emerged, and severed ties after discovering that their money was misused.

Trump says he wants full investigation into financier Epstein's death

US Attorney General William Barr on Monday criticized "serious irregularities" at the federal prison where Jeffrey Epstein died in an apparent suicide, adding that the sex-trafficking investigation involving the disgraced financier would continue.

Epstein was found dead on Saturday, having apparently hanged himself in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in lower Manhattan. The 66-year-old was arrested on July 6 and pleaded not guilty to federal charges of sex trafficking involving dozens of underage girls as young as 14.

Barr, the top US law enforcement official, vowed to carry on the case against anyone who was complicit with Epstein.

"Any co-conspirators should not rest easy," he said at an event in New Orleans.

Epstein was already a registered sex offender after pleading guilty in 2008 to Florida state charges of unlawfully paying a teenage girl for sex. Prior to his conviction, he had counted the rich and powerful, including US President Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton, among his associates.

ABC News on Monday afternoon observed federal agents, including FBI and Customs and Border Protection, at the dock and on the grounds of Little Saint James, Jeffrey Epstein’s island home in the US Virgin Islands.

"There are FBI agents conducting enforcement operations in the US&nbsp;Virgin Islands," said FBI spokesman Guillermo Gonzalez, declining further comment.

Barr said on Saturday that he had asked the Justice Department's inspector general to investigate Epstein's death.

In his remarks on Monday at the Grand Lodge Fraternal Order of Police's National Biennial Conference, Barr said the criminal case against Epstein was personally important to him and that his death denied his victims the chance to confront Epstein in a courtroom.

"I was appalled - and indeed the whole department was - and frankly angry to learn of the MCC's failure to adequately secure this prisoner," Barr said. "We are now learning of serious irregularities at this facility that are deeply concerning and demand a thorough investigation."

Barr did not say what those irregularities were. The decision by officials at the Bureau of Prisons not to keep Epstein on a suicide watch has come under scrutiny.

The facility where Epstein died is run by the federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the US Justice Department.

Even before Epstein's death, public defenders had called the MCC conditions inhumane.

"At the very least, out of a case that's been nothing but tragedy, maybe this will at least shine a spotlight on a facility that has had serious problems for years and years," David Patton, executive director of the Federal Defenders of New York, said in an interview.

Patton described MCC as an "inhumane, cramped place with inadequate staffing, particularly inadequate medical staffing or mental health staffing."

A tragedy to everyone

US District Judge Richard Berman, who was presiding over the case, denied Epstein's bail request last month. A few days later, Epstein was found unconscious on the floor of his jail cell with marks on his neck, and officials investigated that incident as a possible suicide or assault, according to media reports.

"Jeffrey Epstein's death is a tragedy to everyone involved in his case," Berman said in a statement on Monday.

It was not clear why Epstein was taken off the suicide watch. He was in a cell by himself when his body was found.

At MCC, two jail guards are required to make separate checks on all prisoners every 30 minutes, but that procedure was not followed on the night of Epstein's death, according to an official who was not authorized to speak on the record on the matter. In addition, guards are required to make another check every 15 minutes on prisoners who are on suicide watch.

The New York Times, citing prison and law-enforcement officials, reported that one of the two people guarding Epstein was not a full-fledged correctional officer and neither guard had checked on him for several hours before he was discovered.

The New York City medical examiner said that an autopsy had been completed on Epstein on Sunday but that a determination on the cause of death is still pending.

Epstein's death also affects civil litigation. In a court filing on Monday, two unnamed accusers of Epstein urged a federal judge in West Palm Beach, Florida, to scrap portions of Epstein's 2008 non-prosecution agreement with federal prosecutors there that provided immunity to his alleged co-conspirators from criminal charges.

The accusers said Epstein's death rendered moot all possible objections to scrapping the agreement.

The filing came in a long-running lawsuit by alleged victims who said prosecutors violated their rights by failing to consult them about Epstein's plea agreement, which was made on condition that Epstein cooperate with the Florida state prosecutors.

US Attorney General William Barr on Monday criticized "serious irregularities" at the federal prison where Jeffrey Epstein died in an apparent suicide, adding that the sex-trafficking investigation involving the disgraced financier would continue.

US Attorney General William Barr on Monday criticized "serious irregularities" at the federal prison where Jeffrey Epstein died in an apparent suicide, adding that the sex-trafficking investigation involving the disgraced financier would continue. Epstein was found dead on Saturday, having apparently hanged himself in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in lower Manhattan. The 66-year-old was arrested on July 6 and pleaded not guilty to federal charges of sex trafficking involving dozens of underage girls as young as 14. Barr, the top US law enforcement official, vowed to carry on the case against anyone who was complicit with Epstein. "Any co-conspirators should not rest easy," he said at an event in New Orleans. Epstein was already a registered sex offender after pleading guilty in 2008 to Florida state charges of unlawfully paying a teenage girl for sex. Prior to his conviction, he had counted the rich and powerful, including US President Donald Trump and former President Bill Clinton, among his associates. ABC News on Monday afternoon observed federal agents, including FBI and Customs and Border Protection, at the dock and on the grounds of Little Saint James, Jeffrey Epstein’s island home in the US Virgin Islands. "There are FBI agents conducting enforcement operations in the US Virgin Islands," said FBI spokesman Guillermo Gonzalez, declining further comment. Barr said on Saturday that he had asked the Justice Department's inspector general to investigate Epstein's death. In his remarks on Monday at the Grand Lodge Fraternal Order of Police's National Biennial Conference, Barr said the criminal case against Epstein was personally important to him and that his death denied his victims the chance to confront Epstein in a courtroom. "I was appalled - and indeed the whole department was - and frankly angry to learn of the MCC's failure to adequately secure this prisoner," Barr said. "We are now learning of serious irregularities at this facility that are deeply concerning and demand a thorough investigation." Barr did not say what those irregularities were. The decision by officials at the Bureau of Prisons not to keep Epstein on a suicide watch has come under scrutiny. The facility where Epstein died is run by the federal Bureau of Prisons, a division of the US Justice Department. Even before Epstein's death, public defenders had called the MCC conditions inhumane. "At the very least, out of a case that's been nothing but tragedy, maybe this will at least shine a spotlight on a facility that has had serious problems for years and years," David Patton, executive director of the Federal Defenders of New York, said in an interview. Patton described MCC as an "inhumane, cramped place with inadequate staffing, particularly inadequate medical staffing or mental health staffing." A tragedy to everyone US District Judge Richard Berman, who was presiding over the case, denied Epstein's bail request last month. A few days later, Epstein was found unconscious on the floor of his jail cell with marks on his neck, and officials investigated that incident as a possible suicide or assault, according to media reports. "Jeffrey Epstein's death is a tragedy to everyone involved in his case," Berman said in a statement on Monday. It was not clear why Epstein was taken off the suicide watch. He was in a cell by himself when his body was found. At MCC, two jail guards are required to make separate checks on all prisoners every 30 minutes, but that procedure was not followed on the night of Epstein's death, according to an official who was not authorized to speak on the record on the matter. In addition, guards are required to make another check every 15 minutes on prisoners who are on suicide watch. The New York Times, citing prison and law-enforcement officials, reported that one of the two people guarding Epstein was not a full-fledged correctional officer and neither guard had checked on him for several hours before he was discovered. The New York City medical examiner said that an autopsy had been completed on Epstein on Sunday but that a determination on the cause of death is still pending. Epstein's death also affects civil litigation. In a court filing on Monday, two unnamed accusers of Epstein urged a federal judge in West Palm Beach, Florida, to scrap portions of Epstein's 2008 non-prosecution agreement with federal prosecutors there that provided immunity to his alleged co-conspirators from criminal charges. The accusers said Epstein's death rendered moot all possible objections to scrapping the agreement. The filing came in a long-running lawsuit by alleged victims who said prosecutors violated their rights by failing to consult them about Epstein's plea agreement, which was made on condition that Epstein cooperate with the Florida state prosecutors.

Jeffery Epstein co-conspirators 'should not rest easy,' says US Attorney General William Barr

epstein-suicide

Epstein Suicide, News on Epstein Suicide, stories on Epstein Suicide, articles on Epstein Suicide, Epstein Suicide stories at Wion, Epstein Suicide news, Epstein Suicide latest news