A US federal judge has made public a handwritten note purportedly written by disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein shortly before his death. The document contains the line, “It is a treat to be able to choose one’s time to say goodbye,” and was released after a legal request by The New York Times.
The note was reportedly discovered by Epstein’s former cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, a convicted murderer and ex-police officer who shared a cell with Epstein at Manhattan’s Metropolitan Correctional Center in July 2019. Although the note adds complexity to the narrative of Epstein’s final days, the court has not verified its authenticity.
court records, the note was written on a yellow legal pad and hidden inside a book within the shared cell. Its timing is notable, emerging soon after an incident in July 2019 when Epstein was found with marks on his neck, an event later classified as an apparent suicide attempt. Epstein died the following month in an incident officially ruled a suicide.
The handwritten message expresses defiance against the mounting legal pressure, stating, “They investigated me for month – Found NOTHING!!! So 15 year old charges resulted.” It ends with a dismissive tone: “Watcha want me to do – Burst out cryin!! NO FUN – NOT WORTH IT!!”
In a significant development, U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas ordered the note’s release, deeming it a “judicial document” since it was submitted during Tartaglione’s criminal case. Tartaglione is serving four consecutive life sentences for drug-related murders.
However, Judge Karas clarified that he does not confirm the note’s authenticity or chain of custody, but emphasized the public’s right to access court records. The note’s existence has intensified scrutiny of the original investigation, as federal authorities reportedly never encountered the document during their probe. It was also missing from the millions of pages of evidence released by the Department of Justice after Epstein’s death.
With no legal grounds found to keep the note sealed, the public must now consider the credibility of these final, defiant words attributed to Epstein.
