Epstein Reporter Reveals Suspicious Aspects of His Death

Journalist Julie K. Brown delves into Bureau of Prisons records about Epstein's time in prison before his death.

Jan. 29, 2026 at 4:55pm

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Investigative journalist Julie K. Brown, who initially broke the story that led to the first arrests of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, has revealed new details about Epstein's time in prison before his death. According to Brown, Epstein was reportedly attacked by his cellmate, extorted, and slipped a handwritten note into a book, raising questions about the circumstances surrounding his death.

Why it matters

Epstein's death in prison was ruled a suicide, but many have questioned the official narrative. Brown's reporting sheds light on suspicious aspects of Epstein's time in prison, potentially undermining the suicide conclusion and raising further questions about the circumstances of his death.

The details

According to Brown, shortly after Epstein arrived at the Metropolitan Corrections Center in New York City in the summer of 2019, he was found lying on the floor of his cell with a piece of fabric around his neck. Epstein initially told prison officials that his cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, a "violent ex-cop-turned-drug-dealer," had tried to kill him. However, Epstein later changed his story, and an incident report attributed his injuries to "self-mutilation." Tartaglione was also accused of threatening to harm Epstein unless he paid him. Brown also noted that Epstein told his prison psychologist that "suicide was against his religion," and that his attorney said she "did not see a despairing or despondent person" around the time of his death. Additionally, Brown reported that there is a reference to a "note" hidden in a book in Epstein's cell, the details of which remain unknown.

  • In the summer of 2019, Epstein arrived at the Metropolitan Corrections Center in New York City.
  • Just 13 days after his arrival, Epstein was found lying on the floor of his cell with a piece of fabric around his neck.

The players

Julie K. Brown

A Miami Herald investigative journalist who initially broke the story that led to the first arrests of Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.

Jeffrey Epstein

A convicted child predator who died in prison, with his death ruled a suicide.

Nicholas Tartaglione

Epstein's cellmate, described as a "violent ex-cop-turned-drug-dealer" who was accused of threatening to harm Epstein unless he paid him.

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What they’re saying

“Just 13 days after he arrived at MCC, he was found laying on the floor of his cell, with a piece of fabric around his neck.”

— Julie K. Brown, Investigative Journalist (Substack)

“Inmate Epstein also stated that his Bunkie also tried to extort money from him and stated that if he didn't pay him, he would beat him up. He stated this has been going on for a week...he went on to say that his Bunkie told him that if he beat him up, because of the charges, the officers would not report it and because of this he was not comfortable telling officers about the prolonged threats and alleged attempts to extort him.”

— Incident Report (Bureau of Prisons)

What’s next

The Department of Justice is more than a month past the statutorily imposed date to release all remaining documents pertaining to Epstein, per the Epstein Files Transparency Act that Trump signed into law in November. The DOJ stated earlier this week it would be releasing more files soon.

The takeaway

The suspicious circumstances surrounding Epstein's time in prison, including the alleged attack by his cellmate, extortion attempts, and the reference to a hidden note, raise further questions about the official narrative of his death and the need for greater transparency from the Department of Justice.