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In a recent development, Jeffrey Epstein's former cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, has claimed he discovered a suicide note written by Epstein in July 2019. Tartaglione, a convicted quadruple murderer, told The New York Times that he found the note on a yellow legal pad tucked inside a book in their shared cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York. This discovery came shortly after Epstein was found unresponsive with a cloth around his neck, an incident initially ruled as an attempted suicide.
The note, reportedly stating "time to say goodbye," has been sealed in Tartaglione's case file for seven years. Tartaglione first mentioned the note on a podcast last year, describing its content as including a smiley face and a reference to the FBI's investigation into Epstein. The New York Times has filed a petition to unseal the note, arguing that Tartaglione's public discussion of it warrants its release.
Epstein's death on August 10, 2019, was ruled a suicide by hanging by the New York Medical Examiner's Office, but it has since been surrounded by controversy and conspiracy theories. Epstein's brother and others have questioned the suicide ruling, suggesting possible foul play. Tartaglione, who was sentenced to four life terms for a 2016 quadruple murder, denies any involvement in Epstein's death.
The note's existence and its potential implications remain a point of interest. Federal prosecutors have stated they were unaware of any suicide note, but a chronology in the Justice Department's Epstein files references it. U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas has ordered responses to the unsealing request by May 4.
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