Financier’s Fatal Night: Probing the Death of Epstein

As we all know by now, American financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his Metropolitan Correctional Center cell Saturday morning. As the New York Times points out, chief medical examiner, Dr. Barbara “is confident the cause of death is suicide by hanging, but she wants more information from law enforcement before releasing her determination…”

However, would it be surprising to discover that it was a suicide plain and simple? After all, Epstein was living in dire conditions, compared to his former luxurious lifestyle, no? As Haruka Sakaguchit explains in the NYT article 'Inmate 76318-054,' The jail was a sharp departure from his formerly gilded life, which had included a private island in the Caribbean, a $56 million Manhattan mansion and a network of rich and powerful friends." On the one hand, he did his best to manipulate his circumstances, including depositing money into the commissary accounts of other inmates to ward off potential attacks.

Despite the likelihood of it being an apparent suicide, however, conspiracy theories are already swirling. Yet, there are definitely mysteries surrounding Epstein’s death. For instance, Epstein was supposed to have a cell mate. Moreover, a guard was supposed to check in on him every 30 minutes. Nevertheless, neither of these precautions were followed. Yet, there is a possible explanation: “A representative for workers at the Metropolitan Correctional Center told CBS News Epstein’s death at the facility is not surprising. She explains staffing is ‘completely inadequate,’ with workers putting in more than 60 hours a week, leaving them ‘overwhelmed’ and ‘not alert.’” Either way, as the NYT points out, “The disclosures about apparent failures in Mr. Epstein’s detention deepened the questions about his death.” Will such questions be sufficiently answered?

In conclusion, there are many questions surrounding the death of Jeffrey Epstein. Was his death a suicide or something more sinister? Hopefully, time will tell. Nevertheless, no matter what the findings, conspiracy theories are likely to live on, no?

“As mystery surrounding Jeffrey Epstein’s death deepens, alleged victims vow to keep seeking justice.” CBS News. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jeffrey-epstein-death-investigation-alleged-victims-vow-to-keep-seeking-justice/

Benner, Katie, Danielle Ivory, Christina Goldbaum, & Ashley Southall. “Before Jail Suicide, Jeffrey Epstein Was Left Alone and Not Closely Monitored.” The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/11/nyregion/epstein-death-manhattan-correctional-center.html

Sakaguchi, Haruka. "Inmate 76318-054: The Last Days of Jeffrey Epstein." The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/17/nyregion/epstein-suicide-death.html