Key Points
- Judicial Release: US District Judge Kenneth Karas unsealed the note following a legal request by The New York Times, citing the public’s right of access.
- Defiant Tone: The scrawled message claims investigators found “nothing” and describes the ability to choose one’s time to say goodbye as a “treat.”
- Discovery Context: The note was reportedly found hidden inside a graphic novel by Epstein’s former cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, after a July 2019 suicide attempt.
- Unauthenticated Status: While released to the public, the court has not formally authenticated the handwriting or verified the chain of custody.
A handwritten note purportedly written by disgraced financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during his final weeks at the Metropolitan Correctional Center was made public on Wednesday. The document had remained under seal for years as part of unrelated criminal proceedings involving Epstein’s former cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione.
The release follows a successful petition by The New York Times. US District Judge Kenneth Karas of the Southern District of New York ruled that the note qualified as a “judicial document” because it had been submitted in connection with Tartaglione’s own legal case. In his ruling, Karas noted that no party had identified any “competing consideration” that would legally justify keeping the note hidden from the public.
Contents of the “Goodbye” Note
Scrawled on yellow-lined paper, the fragments of text offer a window into Epstein’s mindset following his arrest on federal sex trafficking charges. The note contains specific references to the scrutiny he faced, stating, “They investigated me for months, Found NOTHING!!!”
Other sections of the letter appear more philosophical or resigned, including the line, “It is a treat to be able to choose one’s time to say goodbye.” The document ends with a defiant flourish: “Watcha want me to do, Bust out cryin!! No fun, NOT WORTH IT!!”
The note also makes a passing reference to “15-year-old charges,” an apparent allusion to Epstein’s 2008 non-prosecution agreement in Florida, where he pleaded guilty to state charges of soliciting prostitution from a minor.
Background: The July 23 Incident
The document reportedly surfaced in the aftermath of a suspected suicide attempt on July 23, 2019, approximately three weeks before Epstein was found dead in his cell. On that date, correctional officers found Epstein on the floor with a strip of bedsheet around his neck.
Initial reports from the jail indicated that Epstein claimed Tartaglione had tried to kill him. However, Epstein later retracted these claims during interviews with jail personnel, stating he had no issues with his cellmate and did not want to “make up something that isn’t there.” For his part, Tartaglione, a former police officer, told officials he believed Epstein was suffering a heart attack and denied any physical altercation.
Internal records show that after the July 23 incident, Epstein was briefly placed on suicide watch before being moved to psychiatric observation. During evaluations, he reportedly told a psychologist that he had no intention of self-harm, claiming that suicide violated his Jewish faith and that he had a strong aversion to physical pain.
Despite these assurances and the discovery of the note, Epstein was eventually removed from active suicide watch, a decision that remains a central point of controversy regarding his eventual death in August 2019.
