Jeffrey Epstein's Mysterious Suicide Note Released by Federal Judge After Years in Secrecy

A previously sealed suicide note allegedly written by Jeffrey Epstein has been made public after a federal judge ordered its release. The note, discovered by Epstein’s former cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, was kept under seal for years as part of an unrelated legal dispute.

U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas in White Plains, New York, granted the unsealing request after The New York Times petitioned for its release last week. Federal prosecutors did not oppose the motion.

Tartaglione, a former police officer serving a life sentence for killing four people, first revealed the note’s existence during an appearance on writer Jessica Reed Kraus’ podcast last year. He claimed to have found the note in a book after Epstein was discovered on the floor of their shared cell at a Manhattan federal jail on July 23, 2019, with a strip of bedsheet around his neck. This incident occurred approximately three weeks before Epstein’s death in his cell, which authorities ruled a suicide.

The note, which is difficult to decipher in places, contains the following text:

"They investigated me for month — found nothing!!!
It is a treat to be able to choose" the "time to say goodbye,"
"Watcha want me to do — Bust out cryin!!"
NO FUN, the note concludes, with those words underlined.
NOT WORTH IT!!

It remains unclear who authored the note Tartaglione claimed to have found. The note was not referenced in official government reports on Epstein’s death, nor did it appear in the Justice Department’s recent release of files related to the late financier.

In his written ruling, Judge Karas acknowledged the privacy interests of third parties, including Epstein, but determined that the privacy rights of a deceased individual are "vastly reduced." He cited existing case law suggesting that disclosure of a deceased person’s information is unlikely to cause "concrete harm."

According to jail records, Epstein exhibited friction marks and skin irritation on his neck following the July 23, 2019 incident. Jail officers reported that he was breathing heavily but responsive. One officer noted in a memo included in Justice Department files that Epstein stated he believed Tartaglione had attempted to kill him.

Following the incident, jail officials placed Epstein on suicide watch for 31 hours before downgrading him to psychiatric observation—a status he remained under when he died. Jail records indicate that Epstein denied any suicidal intent, telling a jail psychologist that suicide was against his Jewish faith and that he was a "coward" who disliked pain.

A timeline in the files reveals that Tartaglione informed his lawyer about the note four days after the July 23, 2019 incident. The note was later submitted as evidence in Tartaglione’s criminal case and placed under seal due to a dispute over his legal representation.

Jail records also confirm that both men were interviewed by jail personnel on July 31, 2019. Epstein reportedly denied having any issues with Tartaglione during his interview.