US2 min(s) read
Jeffrey Epstein spent weeks before suicide telling officials he had no plans to kill himself, report says
According to a new report by The New York Times, Jeffrey Epstein spent the weeks before he committed suicide trying to convince jail officials that he wouldn't try to end his life.
The paper managed to obtain records that amounted to thousands of pages after it sued the Federal Bureau of Prisons when it originally denied a request for the documents under the Freedom of Information Act.
Per the obtained documents, the disgraced financier spent some time after a failed suicide in July 2019 saying that he was content and wouldn't attempt it again, The Times stated in its report released on Tuesday, November 23.
Epstein had been placed on suicide watch after his initial attempt, but later said he had a "wonderful life" and that he wouldn't try to kill himself again, The Times reported.
According to records, he told a jail psychologist: "I have no interest in killing myself."
Citing the documents, the outlet reported that Epstein told officials he had a lot to live for.
The billionaire, who was already a convicted sex offender, was arrested in July 2019 on additional charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking. He had pleaded not guilty to the charges and was being held without bail.
On August 10, 2019, Epstein died by hanging and his death was later ruled a suicide by the medical examiner. He was not under suicide watch at the time of his death.
Per BBC News, Epstein was accused of paying underage girls to perform sex acts at his Manhattan and Florida homes in the years between 2002 and 2005. He was arrested on July 6 after arriving in New Jersey on his private jet.
The prosecution on his case also claimed that Epstein paid substantial sums of money to two potential witnesses in the lead-up to the trial, which was supposed to take place in 2020.
Ghislaine Maxwell, who is in jail in New York awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, is accused of helping arrange for Epstein to abuse girls as young as 14, which she denies. Earlier this month, the 59-year-old was denied bail for the sixth time.