A CBS News investigation into surveillance footage from Jeffrey Epstein’s final hours has raised new doubts about the federal government’s handling of the convicted sex offender’s death.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, conservative figures and anti-human trafficking advocates have questioned the Department of Justice and the FBI’s conclusion that Epstein died by suicide and had no “client list.” Among them is Jaco Booyens, a Texas-based activist and founder of Jaco Booyens Ministries.
“There must be justice for the victims of sex trafficking. We cannot and will not stay silent,” Booyens wrote on X. “Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell were convicted as traffickers. That means they sold human beings, including minors, to buyers for sex.”
The newly analyzed 11-hour video, released earlier this year by the FBI, provides only a partial view of the area outside Epstein’s cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center. The footage does not clearly show the cell entrance or the staircase to Epstein’s tier, contradicting previous statements by federal officials — including former Attorney General William Barr — that no one entered the area prior to Epstein’s death.
Video forensic experts told CBS News the footage leaves room for unmonitored movement and fails to provide a conclusive visual record of the key hallway. They also pointed out technical anomalies, including:
- A one-minute gap just before midnight
- Subtle changes in the video’s aspect ratio suggest it may be a stitched-together screen recording, not raw DVR footage
- Unexplained movement, such as a mysterious orange shape ascending the stairs and an unidentified individual appearing after midnight
These discrepancies raise further questions about the reliability of the footage, which was a central piece of evidence in the FBI’s decision to close its inquiry.
The Inspector General’s report also relied on statements from prison staff — some of which appear to contradict the video. Claims that no one could access Epstein’s tier unnoticed are cast into doubt by what is (and isn’t) seen on the tape.
In addition to video issues, the CBS investigation spotlights serious lapses in jail protocol. Epstein, who had previously been placed on suicide watch, was left without a cellmate, and guards Tova Noel and Michael Thomas failed to conduct their required 30-minute checks.
While the DOJ maintains that Epstein died by suicide, the incomplete surveillance footage and lack of internal accountability continue to fuel public skepticism about one of the most high-profile inmate deaths in modern U.S. history.