A convicted murderer claims he discovered a suicide note from Jeffrey Epstein weeks before the financier’s death—a document that sat buried in sealed court files for nearly seven years while the government conducted multiple investigations into one of the most controversial deaths in federal custody.
Story Snapshot
- Nicholas Tartaglione, Epstein’s former cellmate, says he found a handwritten suicide note tucked in a book after Epstein’s first suicide attempt in July 2019
- Federal judge unsealed the note in May 2026 after The New York Times petitioned for its release, revealing defiant language about investigations finding “NOTHING”
- The note was excluded from DOJ Inspector General reports and official Epstein investigations despite being authenticated by Tartaglione’s lawyer in 2019
- Tartaglione, a former cop serving four life sentences for quadruple murder, first disclosed the note publicly in 2025 through podcast interviews
Convicted Killer’s Bombshell Claim
Nicholas Tartaglione, serving four consecutive life sentences for murdering four men in 2016, shared a cell with Jeffrey Epstein at Manhattan’s Metropolitan Correctional Center in July 2019. Tartaglione claims he discovered a handwritten note from Epstein shortly after guards found the disgraced financier semi-conscious with a makeshift noose around his neck on July 23, 2019. The note, written on yellow legal pad paper and allegedly tucked inside a book, languished in Tartaglione’s sealed criminal case file until a federal judge ordered its release on May 6, 2026, following a petition from The New York Times.
Note’s Defiant Message Raises Questions
The unsealed note reads: “They investigated me for month — FOUND NOTHING!!! So 15 year old charges resulted. 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 reference to “15 year old charges” appears to point to the 2005-2007 Florida investigation that resulted in Epstein’s controversial 2007 plea deal—a sweetheart arrangement that allowed him to serve just 13 months in a work-release program despite allegations involving dozens of underage girls. The note’s existence raises serious questions about why federal authorities conducting multiple investigations into Epstein’s death failed to acknowledge or analyze this evidence.
Government Oversight Failures Mount
The Department of Justice Inspector General’s 2023 report examining the circumstances of Epstein’s death made no mention of this alleged suicide note, despite DOJ chronologies confirming that Tartaglione’s lawyer reported its discovery around July 27, 2019—just days after Epstein’s first suicide attempt and two weeks before his death. The Metropolitan Correctional Center, now closed, was notorious for being understaffed and neglecting basic inmate supervision protocols. Guards assigned to watch Epstein on August 10, 2019, fell asleep and falsified records while the high-profile prisoner allegedly hanged himself. This pattern of incompetence and deliberate neglect fuels legitimate concerns about whether government institutions prioritize accountability or simply protecting their own failures from public scrutiny.
Timing and Credibility Under Scrutiny
Tartaglione waited until 2025 to publicly disclose the note’s existence during podcast interviews, despite his lawyer allegedly authenticating the handwriting in 2019. The former police officer’s motivations remain unclear—he may be seeking to bolster appeals, counter Epstein’s initial allegation that Tartaglione tried to kill him, or simply gain notoriety. No independent forensic analysis has verified the note’s authenticity, though multiple news outlets report the handwriting appears consistent with Epstein’s. The note was never included in the main Epstein case files released by the DOJ, raising fundamental questions about what other evidence might have been compartmentalized, overlooked, or deliberately withheld from investigations into a case that has become synonymous with institutional corruption and elite privilege.
What to know about Jeffrey Epstein's ex-cellmate and the note he says he found https://t.co/QXNZnp4t9q #forgery #forensic-document-examiner
— Raymond Orta Forensic Document Examiner USA (@ForensicDocExam) May 7, 2026
The revelation that such a significant piece of evidence remained sealed for nearly seven years, excluded from official investigations, and brought to light only through media pressure reinforces widespread suspicions that powerful institutions are more interested in managing narratives than pursuing truth. Whether through gross negligence or calculated concealment, the handling of this note exemplifies the systemic failures that continue to erode public trust in federal law enforcement and the justice system—failures that Americans across the political spectrum increasingly recognize as symptoms of a government serving itself rather than the people it claims to protect.
Sources:
Epstein suicide note found by cellmate Nicholas Tartaglione unsealed – Business Insider
What to know about Jeffrey Epstein’s ex-cellmate and the note he says he found – KSAT