A federal judge in New York on Wednesday unsealed what is purported to be a suicide note allegedly written by disgraced sex trafficker and financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The note, which had been sealed for years as part of a criminal case against Epstein’s cellmate Nicholas Tartaglione, was made public by Judge Kenneth M. Karas of the Federal District Court in White Plains, N.Y., in response to a petition filed by The New York Times last Thursday.
“They investigated me for months — FOUND NOTHING!!!” the note begins.
“It is a treat to be able to choose one’s time to say goodbye,” the note continued. “Watcha want me to do — Bust out cryin!!”
“NO FUN,” it concludes, with those words underlined. “NOT WORTH IT!!”
United States District Judge Southern District of New York
Tartaglione discovered the note in July 2019 after he found Epstein unresponsive in their cell at the now-closed Metropolitan Correctional Center in Lower Manhattan. Epstein survived that apparent suicide attempt but would be found dead weeks later.
JS has not independently verified the authenticity of the note.
The note, unsealed on Wednesday, had never been seen by the public before, despite the Department of Justice releasing millions of pages of documents related to the criminal investigation into Epstein as part of the Epstein Transparency Act, passed by Congress in November.
A DOJ spokesperson told The New York Times that the Department had never seen the note before, and a review of all the documents made public by the newspaper did not find a copy. However, one of the documents in the Epstein Files was a two-page chronology detailing how the note became entangled in Tartaglione’s legal case.
After his apparent suicide attempt, Epstein claimed that his cellmate assaulted him, which Tartaglione denied. After discovering the note, Tartaglione gave it to his attorneys, and it became caught up in a legal dispute before eventually being placed under seal to protect attorney-client privilege, The Times reported.
The chronology also said Tartaglione’s attorneys authenticated the note but did not explain how.
If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for mental health support. Additionally, you can find local mental health and crisis resources at dontcallthepolice.com. Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention.