A US judge has released a document said to be a suicide note written by Jeffrey Epstein, in the latest development in the long-running story of the Epstein files. The release comes as public attention remains fixed on the millions of documents connected to the disgraced financier, and on questions about what the authorities knew and when.
What the Judge Released
US District Judge Kenneth Karas ordered the release of the document, which was filed in court as part of the criminal case of Nicholas Tartaglione, a former police officer and convicted murderer who had been Epstein’s cellmate. The judge did not make any claim about whether the note is genuine. He ruled only that it was a judicial document subject to the public’s right of access.
The document’s existence gained renewed attention after a New York Times report last year, which said it had never been seen by federal investigators and was absent from the millions of Epstein-related documents released by the Department of Justice. The newspaper had formally requested its release.
Epstein died in his prison cell on 10 August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. His death, and the circumstances around it, have been the subject of intense public debate ever since.
The FBI and the 1996 Warning
Separately, newly examined internal documents show that the FBI received an early warning about Epstein decades before his arrest. Artist Maria Farmer first complained to the FBI in September 1996, warning authorities about Epstein’s activities involving underage girls. According to internal emails, her complaint received no action and was buried in what the agency calls a zero file, a term for tips not linked to an active investigation.
After Epstein was arrested in 2019, agents in New York scrambled to track down the original complaint, and the Miami field office eventually found an electronic copy and forwarded it to New York in August 2019. Farmer filed a federal lawsuit against the FBI in May 2025, and survivors are seeking damages of up to $320 million in related cases. Her account is a reminder of how long some victims waited to be heard.
The Files, the Law, and the Lawsuits
In a rare bipartisan effort, Congress passed a bill last year requiring the Justice Department to release all files related to its investigation into Epstein. President Donald Trump, who has acknowledged a past friendship with Epstein, initially opposed the legislation but signed it into law in November. The Justice Department has since released millions of documents, but lawmakers have questioned how complete the release has been, and at least three million documents are reported to still be unreleased.
The legal fallout continues to spread. Billionaire Leon Black filed a $7.25 million defamation lawsuit against Representative Robert Garcia on 4 November, alleging that the congressman made false and damaging statements connecting him to Epstein’s crimes. Meanwhile, Ghislaine Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison term for sex trafficking.
What Is Still Unreleased
The files story is far from over. While the Justice Department has released millions of pages, reports suggest at least three million documents have yet to be made public, and lawmakers continue to question how complete the release has been. The Epstein Files Transparency Act expressly prohibits withholding materials on the basis of embarrassment or reputational harm to any official or public figure, yet the department’s own watchdog announced a review of its compliance with the law, and a federal judge has already found that it violated the act in part.
Survivors and their lawyers argue that the delays and redactions matter because the files are not just a historical record. They contain evidence about who enabled Epstein, who ignored warnings, and how a man convicted in 2008 was able to continue operating for another decade. Until the full record is public, those questions will keep returning to Congress and the courts.
Why the Story Still Matters
Seven years after Epstein’s death, the files remain a test of government transparency. The court-ordered release of the purported note does not settle questions about its authenticity, but it adds another piece to a public record that survivors, journalists, and lawmakers are still working to complete. For more celebrity and current affairs news, visit our homepage.