FBI launches an investigation after billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide by hanging himself in prison a day after lawsuit by his ‘sex slave’ was unsealed and named a host of his powerful friends including Prince Andrew
- Jeffrey Epstein hanged himself inside his New York City jail cell on Saturday morning
- He was discovered by prison guards shortly before 7am and was rushed to a nearby hospital
- The 66-year-old was pronounced dead a short time later, and the FBI has now launched an investigation into his death
- Epstein was being held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center without bail following his arrest on charges of conspiracy and sex trafficking last month
- His shock death comes just 24 hours after court documents detailing his sexual abuse of underage girls were unsealed by the courts
- The explosive documents include claims from Epstein’s alleged ‘sex slave’ that she was required to have intercourse with a number of powerful men
- Epstein was not on suicide watch at the time of his death on Saturday, despite the fact he was recently hospitalized after allegedly trying to end his own life
- Attorney General Will Barr has ordered both the FBI and the Inspector General to open investigations into Epstein’s death
Jeffrey Epstein has hanged himself inside his New York City jail cell.
The billionaire pedophile was found in cardiac arrest shortly before 7am on Saturday at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in lower Manhattan.
He was rushed to nearby New York Downtown Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
In a statement, Metropolitan Correctional Center told DailyMail.com that the FBI is now launching an investigation into Epstein’s death.
The former financier, 66, was awaiting trial on charges of conspiracy and sex trafficking and was being held at the high-security complex without bail.
Epstein – who once boasted an array of high-profile friends including Prince Andrew and President Bill Clinton – was arrested on July 6, accused of arranging to have sex with dozens of underage girls at his residences in New York City and Florida between 2002 and 2005.
He had plead not guilty to the charges.
Epstein’s suicide comes just two weeks after he was hospitalized following what may have been an initial attempt to take his own life.
On July 24, Epstein was rushed to hospital under police guard after he was discovered semi-conscious on the floor of his prison cell in the fetal position.
He spent several hours receiving medical attention before he was transported back to the Metropolitan Correctional Center.
It has not been confirmed whether Epstein attempted suicide, or whether he may have been attacked inside his prison cell.
The billionaire had been taken off suicide watch before he took his own life on Saturday morning – sparking outrage from Attorney General William Barr who has now vowed to look into the circumstances surrounding Epstein’s death.
‘Epstein’s death raises serious questions that must be answered,’ Barr said in a statement on Saturday afternoon.
‘In addition to the FBI’s investigation, I have consulted with the Inspector General who is opening an investigation into the circumstances of the death’.
Meanwhile, a number of other high-profile Washington figures have demanded more information as to what happened to Epstein.
Freshman Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took to Twitter shortly after news of the billionaire’s death broke, stating: ‘We need answers. Lots of them’.
2020 Presidential hopefuls Amy Klobuchar and Kirsten Gillibrand also demanded transparency as to the details of Epstein’s death.
Just last week, a lawyer who once represented three women during criminal proceedings against Epstein cast doubt on reports of a suicide attempt.
The attorney, Spencer Kuvin, claimed that the billionaire may have been targeted by influential people on the outside of prison who were scared of being exposed as part ofh his circle.
‘If he goes on trial, everyone he’s been in contact with will ultimately be fair game,’ Kuvin told The Sun.
‘There’s no doubt in my mind that no jail will protect you when there’s powerful people that want to reach you – wherever you are.’
An inside source reportedly told The Daily Beast on Saturday that wealthy Epstein had been extorted by other inmates inside his high-security prison.
The publication further reported that he had been living ‘like a pig in a sty’ over the past few weeks, ‘eating his meals off of the floor and constantly requesting more toilet paper’.
Following news of the Epstein’s death, several purported victims spoke of their anger at the fact the billionaire will not face justice for his alleged crimes.
Jennifer Araoz – who claimed she was a victim aged just 14 – told NBC News: ‘I am angry Jeffrey Epstein won’t have to face his survivors of his abuse in court. We have to live with the scars of his actions for the rest of our lives, while he will never face the consequences of the crimes he committed’.
Attorney Lisa Bloom – who represents three of the billionaire’s alleged sex trafficking victims – shared a statement from one of her anonymous accusers.
‘I will never have a sense of closure now. I am angry as hell that the prison could have allowed this to happen and that I and his other victims will never see him face the consequences for his horrendous actions,’ the statement read.
‘I hope that whoever allowed this to happen also faces some type of consequence. You stole from us, the huge piece of healing that we needed to move on with our lives.’
BOMBSHELL COURT DOCUMENTS UNSEALED
Epstein’s death comes just 24 hours after more than 2,000 pages of documents detailing the lurid allegations of his sexual abuse of underage girls were unsealed to the public.
On Friday morning, a federal appeals court published explosive documents pertaining to a 2015 lawsuit that Virginia Roberts Giuffre had filed against Epstein’s associate, socialite Ghislaine Maxwell.
Giuffre claimed Epstein and Maxwell kept her as a ‘sex slave’ in the early 2000s, whilst she was underage.
The unsealed papers – which made international news on Friday – implicated a number of high-profile men in sex scandals.
They include transcripts of a May 3, 2016 deposition made by Giuffre, in which she alleged that she was trafficked by Epstein and Maxwell to have sex with and provide erotic massages for politicians and affluent businessmen.
Giuffre claimed that she was ‘instructed’ by Maxwell to have sex with two high powered Democrats – former Senate Majority George Mitchell and former New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson.
Both Richardson and Mitchell have denied the allegations.
According to the documents, Giuffre claimed she also had sex with Epstein’s friend Prince Andrew when she was 17 years of age.
The Prince has always denied any wrongdoing and in a 2015 court application, a judge threw out Robert’s allegations that she had sex with the Prince.
The judge ordered the allegations to be struck from the record as being ‘immaterial and impertinent.’
Buckingham Palace also issued on the record statements in January 2015, stating: ‘Any suggestion of impropriety with underage minors is categorically untrue.’
Giuffre was working at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort at the time she met Ghislaine Maxwell, who then went on to introduce her to Epstein.
Epstein is known for his previous friendships with President Trump but Giuffre has denied ever having sexual relationships with the Commander-in-chief.
Epstein was also an associate of President Bill Clinton – but the unsealed court documents reveal that Giuffre similarly denied ever being intimate him.
Giuffre was the first woman to go public with accusations against Epstein – and is the most high profile of his alleged victims.
The alleged ‘sex slave’ has previously recounted how she found herself being shuttled around the world and raped by men three times her age in court papers after she was met Ghislaine Maxwell
‘Epstein had promised me a lot, and I knew if I left I would be in big trouble. I also knew that I was a witness to a lot of illegal and very bad behavior by Epstein and his friends,’ stated one filing.
‘If I left Epstein, he knew all kinds of powerful people. He could have had me killed or abducted, and I always knew he was capable of that if I did not obey him. He let me know that he knew many people in high places… I was very scared, particularly since I was a teenager.’
‘When I was with him, Epstein had sex with underage girls on a daily basis. His interest in this kind of sex was obvious to the people around him,’ she also stated.
‘The activities were so obvious and bold that anyone spending any significant time at one of Epstein’s residences would have clearly been aware of what was going on.’