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Epstein ‘was afraid of returning to cell’, document dump reveals - as chilling details of sex offender's final days laid bare

Documents show Epstein told a psychologist he was afraid to go back to his cell after an initial unsuccessful suicide attempt.

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Epstein, left, was reportedly afraid to return to his prison cell.
Epstein, left, was reportedly afraid to return to his prison cell. Picture: DOJ/Reuters

By Jacob Paul

Jeffrey Epstein spent his final days in fear and torment from his jail cell, according to the latest batch of files released by the Department of Justice.

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The latest files to be disclosed raise new questions about the circumstances around the disgraced financier's suicide.

Documents show that in his final days, Epstein told a psychologist he was afraid to go back to his cell after an initial unsuccessful suicide attempt.

They also show that his brother Mark gave a tip to the FBI that he had been killed.

Records released in detail in relation to Epstein's first suicide attempt show it took place on July 23, 2019 at 1.27am in the Special Housing Unit at the Metropolitan Correction Center.

The psychologist said in an assessment: ”He stated that approx 1am he'd gotten up to drink of water as he gets up every thirty minutes. He remembered walking back to his bunk and waking up with staff there in his cell.

Read more: 'Our president shares our love of young, nubile girls': Chilling note Epstein 'sent predator Larry Nassar' is 'fake', says DOJ

Read more: Met contacted FBI over Andrew allegations last month, Epstein files show

Videos from Epstein's cell have been released.
Videos from Epstein's cell have been released. Picture: DOJ

“When interviewed he stated he still cannot remember what happened in the SHU that caused the marks on his neck. He stated that for the 5 days before that he had only slept about 30 minutes each night because of noise in SHU.

“He stated he is anxious about going back to SHU because he stated he is going back to a place where he had gotten marks on his neck and he does not know why it happened.”

Epstein was also treated for a “circular line of erythema at the base of his neck, one section on the front with marks of friction and a small erythema in his left knee,” records show.

Nicholas Tartaglione, Epstein's cellmate, said he attempted to revive the sex offender.

Thousands of documents from the Epstein files have been released.
Thousands of documents from the Epstein files have been released. Picture: Getty

Prison authorities later cleared Tartaglione of any wrongdoing and was moved out of the cell when Epstein's died in the following weeks.

Epstein was found dead in his cell on August 10, 2019. His death was ruled a suicide.

A document compiled by a Threat Intake Examiner at the FBI National Threat Operations Center Unit recorded a tip from his brother claiming it was murder.

The tip said: “Jeffrey Epstein was murdered in his jail cell' and that there was 'reason to believe he was killed because he was about to name names. I believe President Trump authorized his murder.”

No further detail was given.

Mr Trump has never been formally accused of wrongdoing related to Epstein's death, while the DOJ insists many of the claims made about the president in the Epstein files are "unfounded and false”.

Among the claims are chilling letter Jeffrey Epstein allegedly sent to serial sexual abuser Larry Nassar days before he was found dead in his cell, according to the Department of Justice.

Donald Trump was not explicitly named in the postcard, but it was thought to have been written during his first term in office.

The handwritten note, sent from prison, reads: “As you know by now, I have taken the ‘short route’ home.

“Good luck! We shared one thing . . . our love & caring for young ladies at the hope they'd reach their full potential.

“Our president shares our love of young, nubile girls. When a young beauty walked by he loved to ‘grab snatch,’ whereas we ended up snatching grub in the mess halls of the system. Life is unfair.”

However, the letter has since been ruled as fake by the FBI, according to the DOJ.

The DOJ posted: "The FBI has confirmed this alleged letter from Jeffrey Epstein to Larry

Nassar is FAKE. 'The fake letter was received by the jail, and flagged for the FBI at the time.

"The FBI made this conclusion based on the following facts.

"The writing does not appear to match Jeffrey Epstein’s. The letter was postmarked three days after Epstein's death out of Northern Virginia, when he was jailed in New York."