Epstein’s purported suicide note unsealed by judge: Read the full text

Jeffrey Epstein's alleged suicide note released

A note that may have been written by the late Jeffrey Epstein was unsealed by a federal judge. The note appears to read in part: "It is a treat to be able to choose one’s time to say goodbye." 

NEW YORK - A note that may have been written by the late Jeffrey Epstein was unsealed by a federal judge on Wednesday. 

The note was sealed for years as part of a criminal case involving Epstein’s cellmate, Nicholas Tartagloione.

Dig deeper:

U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas ruled the document should be made public, finding no sufficient reason to keep it sealed.

Image taken from court documents showing a purported suicide note written by Jeffrey Epstein. (US District Court - Southern District of New York)

Few people had known about the note until Tartaglione, a former police officer serving a life sentence for killing four people, mentioned it last year on writer Jessica Reed Kraus’ podcast.

Tartaglione claimed he discovered the note in a book after Epstein was found on the floor of their cell at a Manhattan federal jail on July 23, 2019, with a strip of bedsheet around the financier’s neck. 

What they're saying:

The note appears to read as follows: 

"They investigated me for months – Found nothing!!! It is a treat to be able to choose one’s time to say goodbye. Watcha want me to do – Bust out cryin!! No fun – Not worth it!" 

The backstory:

Epstein was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, a federal jail in Manhattan, on Aug. 10, 2019, while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

The medical examiner ruled it a suicide and authorities have pointed to a series of missteps by jail personnel — including browsing the internet and sleeping when they should’ve been checking on Epstein — for allowing him to take his own life.