The Epstein Note: A Mystery Unsealed
A one-page note allegedly written by Jeffrey Epstein was unsealed by a federal judge on August 13, 2025, following a legal petition from The New York Times. The document was made public after being sealed for nearly six years.
The Note and Its Discovery
The note, written on lined paper, contains five sentences.
"They investigated me for months — FOUND NOTHING!!!"
"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 note does not contain a signature.
Nicholas Tartaglione, Epstein's former cellmate at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City, stated he discovered the note in a book after Epstein's first suicide attempt in July 2019. Tartaglione is a former police officer serving a life sentence for murder and is currently appealing his conviction.
Authentication Status
- The Department of Justice stated it has not authenticated the note and first saw it upon its release.
- The Guardian has not independently verified the letter's authenticity.
- Bruce Barket, Tartaglione's former lawyer, said the note's authenticity is supported by circumstances and comparison with other writings but has not been formally authenticated.
The author of the note is officially unknown.
Legal and Procedural Context
District Judge Kenneth Karas ordered the note unsealed after it was filed as part of Tartaglione's unrelated legal case.
The government did not object to the unsealing, noting that Tartaglione had made voluntary public statements about the note and that there is a strong public interest in the matter.
The note was not mentioned in official government reports on Epstein's death.
Background
Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his cell on August 10, 2019, while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. The medical examiner ruled his death a suicide.
The House Oversight Committee is currently investigating Epstein's death and the federal government's handling of the investigation.
What's Next
The New York Times has requested additional documents be unsealed. The court has given parties one week to propose redactions to those documents.