A handwritten suicide note believed to be penned by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has been made public by a federal judge in New York City after being kept from the public eye for years. The U.S. District Court disclosed the document on Wednesday.
In the note, Epstein expressed frustration over a lengthy investigation that yielded no findings and led to charges dating back years. He mentioned the choice to say farewell at one’s own discretion, stating, “Watcha want me to do — Bust out cryin!! NO FUN — NOT WORTH IT!!”
The authenticity of the note could not be independently confirmed by CBC News. The letter was not part of the Epstein case documents but a mention of a note found in one of Epstein’s books was included in a timeline detailing how it ended up in the possession of Epstein’s cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione.
Tartaglione reported discovering the note after Epstein’s apparent suicide attempt in July 2019. Epstein, aged 66, was found deceased at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York the following month while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking allegations.
The note later became embroiled in a legal dispute involving Tartaglione and his defense attorneys over conflict of interest. Although initially sealed in May 2021 to safeguard attorney-client privilege, it was eventually published on Wednesday following a successful petition by the New York Times.
The Judge agreed with the newspaper’s argument that privilege no longer applied due to Tartaglione discussing the note’s contents publicly. The U.S. Department of Justice concurred that privilege had been waived by Tartaglione’s public disclosures.
Tartaglione, who shared a cell with Epstein briefly, was later convicted of murder and sentenced to four life terms after a 2023 trial. He has since filed an appeal.