A federal judge ordered the release on Wednesday of a purported suicide note written by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein that had been kept under court seal for years as controversy persisted over his 2019 death in custody while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
The note, written on a single sheet of lined paper, reads in part: "They investigated me for months — FOUND NOTHING!!" and "It is a treat to be able to choose one's time to say goodbye."
The document concludes with the underlined phrase: "Watcha want me to do — Bust out cryin'!! NO FUN — NOT WORTH IT!!"
Epstein's former Manhattan correctional center cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, said he discovered the note in July 2019 after Epstein was found unresponsive in their shared cell with a strip of cloth wrapped around his neck.
Epstein survived that incident but was found dead weeks later in the now-shuttered Metropolitan Correctional Center.
His death was ruled a suicide by the New York City medical examiner.
U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas, who oversaw Tartaglione's criminal case, ordered the note unsealed following a petition by The New York Times.
Tartaglione, a former police officer charged in a quadruple homicide, said he handed the note to his attorneys because he believed it could be relevant if Epstein continued to claim Tartaglione had assaulted him.
The note was placed in the court record in May 2021 but remained sealed despite the Justice Department's legally mandated release of millions of Epstein-related documents earlier this year.
Lawyers for Tartaglione have stated they authenticated the note, though no court or investigative agency has formally vouched for its authenticity.
The Times has not independently verified the document, but noted that phrases like "bust out cryin" and "No fun" appear in emails and other writings attributed to Epstein.
The release comes as Epstein's death continues to fuel speculation and political scrutiny.
Security lapses at the jail, missing surveillance footage, and inconsistent accounts from officials have sustained doubts about the official suicide ruling.
Tartaglione has maintained his innocence in the quadruple homicide case and is serving four life sentences following a 2023 conviction; he has appealed.
The U.S. attorney's office in Manhattan did not oppose the note's release, citing Tartaglione's prior public statements about it and a "strong public interest in the circumstances surrounding Epstein's death."
Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting prostitution involving a minor and faced federal sex trafficking charges at the time of his death.
Judges and lawmakers have stated that over decades he abused, trafficked and molested scores of girls, many of whom have testified publicly.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the unsealed document.