According to the Justice Department’s watchdog, Jeffrey Epstein’s suicide in his jail cell in August 2019 was a result of a combination of negligence, misconduct, and job performance failures by the federal Bureau of Prisons and the workers at the New York City jail.

The investigation found no evidence of foul play but highlighted several factors that contributed to Epstein’s death.

One significant failure was the jail’s failure to assign Epstein a cellmate, leaving him alone in his cell. Additionally, most of the surveillance cameras in his unit did not record, creating a lack of crucial evidence.

Furthermore, a worker was on duty for an uninterrupted 24-hour shift, leading to exhaustion and compromised performance, The Associated Press reported.

Despite Epstein’s high profile and a previous suicide attempt two weeks prior, he was not checked on regularly as required.

The negligent actions not only allowed Epstein to take his own life but also raised concerns about the circumstances surrounding his death and denied his numerous victims the chance to seek justice.

Inspector General Michael Horowitz emphasized the troubling nature of these failures in a video statement.

The investigation revealed that Epstein had excess bed linens in his cell, which he used for his suicide. Had the guards conducted regular checks, they would have discovered this.

Horowitz identified 13 employees with performance failures and recommended possible criminal charges against four of them.

However, only the two workers assigned to guard Epstein on the night of his death faced charges and avoided jail time through a plea deal after admitting to falsifying logs.

The report by Horowitz also unveiled new information about Epstein’s behavior before his death.

He signed a new last will and testament during a meeting with his lawyers two days prior to being found unresponsive in his cell on the morning of August 10, 2019.

The jail officials were unaware of the new will until after Epstein’s death, as stated by Horowitz.

Written by staff