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A new discovery made in the suicide case of Jeffrey Epstein has uncovered that a series of missteps by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, including too many bed linens being left in the jail cell, enabled Epstein to commit suicide four years ago while awaiting his trial for sex trafficking charges.
Inspector General Michael Horowitz said, “A combination of negligence, misconduct, and just outright poor job performance are the reasons that allowed Epstein to take his own life on August 10, 2019 in the lower Manhattan jail cell.”
Investigators discovered some of the factors Horowitz mentioned included, that the troubled lock-up had failed to assign a new inmate to Epstein’s cell after a previous one left, that there were problems with the surveillance cameras and that his cell “contained an excessive amount of bed linens”, which were used in the suicide.
Also, continuous staffing shortages and overworked employees led to inmates being inadequately supervised.
Horowitz added that 13 employees had poor performance and he recommended that charges be brought against six.
Two correction officers, Nova Noel and Michael Thomas, who were supposed to be guarding Epstein at the time of his suicide, were charged for falsifying logs but received no-jail plea deals.
The duo, who were both working overtime, had been sleeping and online shopping, when they were supposed to be checking on the financier every 30 minutes.
“They are no longer with the BOP,” said spokesperson Benjamin O’Cone.
Horowitz agreed with other investigation findings that there was no foul play in Epstein’s death, debunking conspiracy theories to the contrary.
The multimillionaire had been in the MCC for over a month and two weeks before his death he had been placed on suicide watch after scrapes and bruises were found on his neck, leading jail officials to believe he’d made a suicide attempt.
The 66-year-old hedge funder’s death deprived his victims, many of whom were underage girls at the time he abused them, of getting their day in court.
Scott Taylor, a BOP spokesman, said, “Our agency had already put into place several enhanced practices, including reviews of video footage from restricting housing units to ensure rounds are conducted accurately and in a timely manner.”
“Lieutenants now regularly count inmates in those units and workers must file reports on solo inmates. And the warden must be notified any time anyone is placed on suicide watch and workers receive suicide prevention training,” Taylor added. “The BOP takes seriously our ability to protect and secure individuals in our custody while ensuring the safety of our correctional employees and the surrounding community.”
“We make every effort to create a controlled environment within our facilities that is both secure and humane, prioritizing the physical and emotional well-being of those in our care and custody,” Taylor concluded.
