On Wednesday a federal judge unsealed a handwritten note allegedly written by Jeffrey Epstein during his unsuccessful suicide attempt on July 23, 2019, just weeks before his death in a Manhattan jail cell, adding another layer of mystery to one of the most notorious cases of prison negligence in modern American history.
The note, obtained by Epstein’s former cellmate Nicholas Tartaglione and written on a yellow legal pad, reads: “They investigated me for month Found NOTHING!!!” followed by what appears to say “So 16 year old charges resubmitted,” and concludes with “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!!” Tartaglione’s former attorney Bruce Barket stated his team never formally authenticated the document but grew comfortable with its legitimacy after comparing it to another alleged Epstein note that also ended with the line “NO FUN!!”
The note dates to the incident where Epstein was found semiconscious with an orange cloth around his neck and friction marks visible, initially claiming Tartaglione had attacked him before later telling investigators he did not want to discuss how he sustained the injuries. Despite this clear warning sign, Epstein was taken off suicide watch after only 31 hours, a decision that directly led to his successful hanging death on August 10, 2019, in conditions that federal investigators concluded in 2023 resulted from a cascade of misconduct, negligence, and errors by Metropolitan Correctional Center staff. The unsealing comes amid ongoing public fascination with the Epstein case, which exploded back into the political spotlight when Attorney General Pam Bondi promised to release all files related to the convicted sex trafficker’s network, only to face accusations of holding back documents and ultimately being fired by President Trump in April 2026.
For the public, the note offers a glimpse into Epstein’s mindset during his final weeks, a mix of defiance, self pity, and dark humor that contrasts sharply with the horrific crimes for which he was arrested in July 2019 involving the sexual abuse of girls as young as 14 between 2002 and 2005. The Justice Department, which has produced nearly 3 million pages of records related to the case, declined to authenticate the document, stating it was difficult to comment on something neither they nor major media outlets had formally reviewed. Whether the note provides genuine insight or merely feeds conspiracy theories about Epstein’s death, its release underscores how the case continues to haunt American institutions six years later, exposing the failures of a prison system that could not protect its most high profile inmate and a justice system still struggling to deliver transparency on one of its most embarrassing chapters.
