- Jeffrey Epstein deceived correctional officers and counselors before his suicide attempt in his jail cell, according to the New York Times.
- The report details Epstein's final deceptions in jail after living "a life of manipulation," according to The Times.
- Epstein's final days include how he inquired about the best prison cook and asked to call his dead mother.
Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein deceived correctional officers, counselors, and specially trained inmates assigned to monitor him around the clock before his suicide in his jail cell, according to a new report.
Documents recording Epstein's final days were recently unveiled in a New York Times report after the newspaper combed through more than 2,000 pages of Federal Bureau of Prisons records obtained after filing a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit.
The report, released on Thursday, details Epstein's final deceptions in jail after living what the newspaper describes as "a life of manipulation."
Epstein, who in 2008 pleaded guilty to state charges in Florida of solicitation of prostitution involving a minor and a prostitution charge, was jailed while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. He was found dead in his cell at New York City's Metropolitan Correctional Center on August 10, 2019.
A medical examiner ruled Epstein's death a suicide by hanging.
The detailed notes and documents reviewed by The Times were compiled by those who interacted with Epstein while he was detained. The report shows how he evaded psychologists and administrators by convincing them had much to live for, while also showing signs of concern to his fellow inmates.
Here are some of the most interesting moments in Epstein's final days, according to the report:
- Epstein was described as "dazed and withdrawn" by a facility assistant in the jail when he first arrived. She recommended that he receive an initial psychological evaluation that day, but it took several days before Epstein saw anyone.
- Epstein "spent his nights pacing his cell, sleeping fitfully and talking with other inmates, according to handwritten notes taken by those observing him," the report states.
- In a conversation with another inmate, Epstein reportedly talked about "the escort business" and celebrities he knows.
- Epstein had conversations with other inmates about "prison life and etiquette."
- One inmate logged a conversation with Epstein where he asked who the best cook was in prison.
- When meeting with a psychologist for a suicide risk evaluation, Epstein described himself as a "banker with a 'big business'" and said "being alive is fun," according to the documents viewed by The Times.
- Epstein repeatedly told others he was not suicidal. A psychologist described him as "future-oriented." Epstein described himself as a "coward," saying that he did not like pain and therefore would not take his own life, the report explains.
- Epstein frequently complained about the running toilet in his cell. "He said he sat in the corner and held his ears," a psychologist wrote in one of the documents. Epstein thought he might have autism, explaining that Dustin Hoffman's autistic character in the film "Rain Man" had an aversion to noise, according to the report.
- The night of his suicide attempt, Epstein lied to jail officials and asked to call his mother. His mother died in 2004. Instead, Epstein called his girlfriend, Karyna Shuliak, the Times reported. The 15-minute call was not properly logged and does not appear to have been recorded by the jail. Shuliak declined comment to the Times through her lawyer.
- An inmate who shared the cell next to Epstein reportedly told a kitchen worker "Jeffrey Epstein definitely killed himself. Any conspiracy theories to the contrary are ridiculous," according to the report. The man had heard Epstein "tearing up his sheet before committing suicide," the kitchen worker wrote in an email to the psychology department obtained by The Times.