A federal judge on Wednesday unsealed what is believed to be a suicide note written by Jeffrey Epstein after an apparent suicide attempt in July 2019, weeks before the convicted sex offender was later found dead in his jail cell.
The handwritten note, which has not been authenticated, was reportedly found by Epstein’s former cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, after Epstein was found semiconscious inside the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York.
According to federal records, Epstein was discovered on July 23, 2019, with “an orange cloth around his neck” and “friction marks” on his neck. Tartaglione later told officers Epstein had attempted to hang himself.
The note, written on lined paper, states: “They investigated me for month — Found NOTHING!!!”
Parts of the writing are difficult to read, but the document appears to reference 16-year-old criminal charges before stating, “It is a treat to be able to choose one’s time to say goodbye. Watcha want me to do – Bust out cryin!! NO FUN, NOT WORTH IT!!”
The document is undated, unsigned, and has not been verified by authorities.
Bruce Barket, a former attorney for Tartaglione, said the note was written on a yellow legal pad and was never formally authenticated. However, he said members of the legal team believed it was likely written by Epstein because it resembled another alleged note previously obtained by CBS’ 60 Minutes that also ended with the phrase “NO FUN!!”
Tartaglione, a former New York City police officer serving a life sentence for a quadruple murder conviction, has long denied harming Epstein. Immediately after the July 2019 incident, Epstein reportedly claimed Tartaglione attacked him. He later told investigators he did not know what happened and did not want to discuss how he suffered the injuries.
The note remained sealed for years as part of Tartaglione’s criminal case before being released this week by U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas in the Southern District of New York.
The release followed a petition by The New York Times seeking to make the document public after reporting on its existence.
Epstein, 66, was arrested in July 2019 on federal sex-trafficking charges tied to allegations that he sexually abused girls as young as 14 between 2002 and 2005.
Although he was placed on suicide watch after the July incident, Epstein denied being suicidal, according to federal records.
He was later found dead in his jail cell on August 10, 2019. New York City’s medical examiner ruled the death a suicide. A 2023 federal investigation concluded his death resulted from a series of misconduct, negligence, and errors by jail staff.
