A federal judge unsealed an alleged suicide note purportedly written by Jeffrey Epstein on Wednesday, May 6, 2026 [1].
The release follows a petition by the New York Times to increase transparency regarding Epstein's death. Because the financier's death has been the subject of intense public scrutiny and conspiracy theories, any new evidence regarding his final moments is closely watched.
The document was reportedly found in July 2019 [2] at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Lower Manhattan [3]. According to reports, Epstein's former cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, discovered the note inside a graphic novel belonging to Epstein [4].
Despite the unsealing, the document's authenticity remains uncertain. The note is barely legible, undated, and unsigned [1]. It has not been independently verified [4]. One phrase identified in the text reads, "Time to say goodbye" [5].
The document had been under wraps for nearly seven years [6]. The court order to release the file came as part of a broader effort to make related documents available to the public.
Legal representatives and investigators have not yet confirmed if the note will impact any ongoing reviews of the events leading to Epstein's death. The lack of a signature or date complicates the process of establishing a definitive timeline for when the note was written, or if it was written by Epstein at all [4].
“"Time to say goodbye"”
The release of this document provides a new piece of evidence in the contentious history of Jeffrey Epstein's death, but its lack of verification means it may not resolve existing disputes. Because the note is unsigned and illegible, it is unlikely to serve as a definitive legal record, yet it satisfies a judicial push for transparency regarding the Metropolitan Correctional Center's handling of the case.
