Jeffrey Epstein had told prison guards that someone was trying to 'kill him' weeks before he allegedly killed himself
Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced American financier, who was found dead at the Manhattan Metropolitan Correctional Center where he was being held on sex trafficking charges, had told prison guards days prior to his alleged 'suicide' that somebody was trying to 'kill him.'
The sources said they had seen the 66-year-old accused Epstein on several occasions during his stay at the MCC. Speaking to Daily Mail online, they also added that Epstein, who had been usually reserved through his incarceration, seemed in relatively good spirits. "There was no indication that he might try to take his own life," the insider told the outlet. "From what I saw, he was finally starting to adjust to prison. I think he was comforted by the rigidity of his new life."
After Epstein was found hanging in his prison cell shortly before 7 am on August 10, he was rushed to the nearby New York Presbyterian-Lower Manhattan hospital. Epstein was pronounced dead at the hospital, and in the afternoon, a black bag believed to contain his body was seen being taken out of the hospital. The body was then switched into a white vehicle before being transported away. As of now, a coroner's investigation is still pending.
The Metropolitan Correctional Center also told the outlet that the FBI was now launching an investigation into the suspicious circumstances of Epstein's death. Epstein was being held at the high-security complex without bail, as he awaited trial for conspiracy and sex trafficking charges. Having boasted of a string of high-profile and powerful men that he had for friends, Epstein was arrested on July 6 and accused of arranging to have sex with dozens of minors at his New York City and Florida residences between 2002 and 2005. Epstein had pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The news of Epstein's alleged suicide comes just two weeks after he was admitted to the hospital for what was believed to be his first suicide attempt. He was rushed to the hospital on July 24 after he was discovered on the floor of his prison cell. Recently, he had been removed from suicide watch and shortly after, the news of his death arrived, and that has managed to leave former wardens and veterans of the federal prison system both baffled and outraged.
"For them to pull him off suicide watch is shocking," Cameron Lindsay, a former warden, told NBC News, adding: "For someone this high-profile, with these allegations and this many victims, who has had a suicide attempt in the last few weeks, you can take absolutely no chances. You leave him on suicide watch until he's out of there."
Other high-profile figures are demanding a thorough investigation of Epstein's death too. Popular congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted "We need answers. Lots of them," shortly after the news of Epstein's death broke. 2020 Presidential hopefuls Amy Klobuchar and Kirsten Gillibrand also demanded more clarity on Epstein's death.