Ghislaine Maxwell claims Jeffrey Epstein was murdered

Ghislaine Maxwell, a convicted sex trafficker and longtime partner of disgraced late US financier Jeffrey Epstein, has claimed that the latter was murdered in prison. She told a British broadcaster in an interview that she believes that Epstein was murdered.

Epstein killed himself in a New York jail in August 2019 in the face of a pending trial over charges of trafficking underage girls for sex.

While the post mortem concluded suicide, the 66-year-old's sudden death led to several conspiracy theories.

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"I believe that he was murdered," former socialite Maxwell said in the series of jailhouse interviews aired on Britain's TalkTV.

"I was shocked. Then I wondered how it had happened."

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Epstein's brother had hired a forensic pathologist to investigate his death, who said in 2019 that all evidence points to murder. He said that multiple fractures were found on Epstein's neck and point to foul play.

A years-long investigation was conducted by the US Department of Justice to understand how was Epstein able to take his own life inside New York's Metropolitan Correctional Center. Its report did not conclude that anything was amiss.

Maxwell also insisted that she regrets having met Epstein ever, and that she did not know "he was so awful". She is appealing her 2021 conviction for trafficking minors for sex.

US prosecutors were able to prove during her trial in New York that Maxwell was integral to Epstein's scheme of enticing young girls to give him massages.

During the interview, Maxwell was given the opportunity to apologise to the victims. However, she did not take it up.

"Epstein has died and they should take their disappointment and upset out on the authorities that allowed that to happen," she replied.

"I hope that they have some closure via the judicial process that took place."

"And I wish them ... to be able to have a productive and good life going forward."

(With inputs from agencies)

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