The Latest: Accuser at center of released files speaks out
FILE - This July 25, 2013, file image provided by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement shows financier Jeffrey Epstein. The judge presiding over the federal sex trafficking charges against Epstein has invited his accusers and their lawyers to a hearing where he’ll consider prosecutors’ request to dismiss the indictment. U.S. District Judge Richard Berman said Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2019 he’ll conduct a brief hearing Tuesday to consider the dismissal since the financier killed himself in his prison cell Aug. 10. (Florida Department of Law Enforcement via AP, File)
FILE - In this July 15, 2019 courtroom artist’s sketch, defendant Jeffrey Epstein, left, and his attorney Martin Weinberg listen during a bail hearing in federal court, in New York. Officials say the FBI and U.S. Inspector General’s office will investigate how Epstein died in an apparent suicide, while the probe into sexual abuse allegations against the well-connected financier remains ongoing. A person familiar with the matter says Epstein, accused of orchestrating a sex-trafficking ring and sexually abusing dozens of underage girls, had been taken off suicide watch before he killed himself Saturday, Aug. 10, 2019, in a New York jail. (Elizabeth Williams via AP, File)
FILE - This July 25, 2013, file image provided by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement shows financier Jeffrey Epstein. The judge presiding over the federal sex trafficking charges against Epstein has invited his accusers and their lawyers to a hearing where he’ll consider prosecutors’ request to dismiss the indictment. U.S. District Judge Richard Berman said Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2019 he’ll conduct a brief hearing Tuesday to consider the dismissal since the financier killed himself in his prison cell Aug. 10. (Florida Department of Law Enforcement via AP, File)
FILE - This July 25, 2013, file image provided by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement shows financier Jeffrey Epstein. The judge presiding over the federal sex trafficking charges against Epstein has invited his accusers and their lawyers to a hearing where he’ll consider prosecutors’ request to dismiss the indictment. U.S. District Judge Richard Berman said Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2019 he’ll conduct a brief hearing Tuesday to consider the dismissal since the financier killed himself in his prison cell Aug. 10. (Florida Department of Law Enforcement via AP, File)
FILE - In this July 15, 2019 courtroom artist’s sketch, defendant Jeffrey Epstein, left, and his attorney Martin Weinberg listen during a bail hearing in federal court, in New York. Officials say the FBI and U.S. Inspector General’s office will investigate how Epstein died in an apparent suicide, while the probe into sexual abuse allegations against the well-connected financier remains ongoing. A person familiar with the matter says Epstein, accused of orchestrating a sex-trafficking ring and sexually abusing dozens of underage girls, had been taken off suicide watch before he killed himself Saturday, Aug. 10, 2019, in a New York jail. (Elizabeth Williams via AP, File)
FILE - In this July 15, 2019 courtroom artist’s sketch, defendant Jeffrey Epstein, left, and his attorney Martin Weinberg listen during a bail hearing in federal court, in New York. Officials say the FBI and U.S. Inspector General’s office will investigate how Epstein died in an apparent suicide, while the probe into sexual abuse allegations against the well-connected financier remains ongoing. A person familiar with the matter says Epstein, accused of orchestrating a sex-trafficking ring and sexually abusing dozens of underage girls, had been taken off suicide watch before he killed himself Saturday, Aug. 10, 2019, in a New York jail. (Elizabeth Williams via AP, File)
NEW YORK (AP) — The Latest on the death of Jeffrey Epstein (all times local):
11:20 p.m.
The Jeffrey Epstein accuser who filed a since-settled lawsuit against Epstein’s ex-girlfriend says she’s grateful he will never harm anyone again, but is angry there will be no chance he answers for his conduct.
Virginia Giuffre tells The New York Times that her husband woke her up early in Australia to share the news that the wealthy financier died Saturday morning in an apparent suicide.
Giuffre said “We’ve worked so hard to get here, and he stole that from us, too.”
More than 2,000 pages of documents were released this week related to Giuffre’s lawsuit. The records contain graphic allegations against Epstein, as well as the transcript of a 2016 deposition of Epstein in which he repeatedly refused to answer questions to avoid incriminating himself.
He had pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking charges.
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6:55 p.m.
Jeffrey Epstein was spotted by defense lawyers meeting with one of his attorneys just hours before he was found dead.
Attorney Patrick Joyce said he was visiting a client at the Metropolitan Correctional Center Friday evening when he saw Epstein in one of the rooms where inmates meet alone with their lawyer.
He says he looked the same as any other night. Joyce says Epstein was in a room meeting with a lawyer almost every night in the last week.
Joyce says he tried to return to the MCC to meet a client early Saturday morning but was told the facility was “totally locked down.”
Authorities say Epstein was found dead of an apparent suicide Saturday morning. He had pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking charges.
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5:40 p.m.
An attorney for Jeffrey Epstein says prosecutors and the press have “blood on their hands” in Epstein’s apparent suicide.
Marc Fernich said Saturday that reporters, plaintiffs’ lawyers and court officials “should be ashamed of their behavior” following Epstein’s indictment last month on conspiracy and sex trafficking charges.
He said in a statement that jailers at the Metropolitan Correctional Center failed to protect Epstein and to prevent the “calamity” of his death.
Fernich added that Epstein had “long since paid his debt to society” for his crimes. He said Epstein had the “misfortune to be a wealthy man in the #metoo era.”
Fernich said his statement comes as an “outraged citizen and defense lawyer,” not as a representative of Epstein.
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4:10 p.m.
Federal prosecutors say their investigation remains ongoing into the allegations of sexual abuse against financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Epstein was found dead of an apparent suicide Saturday at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan. He had been charged with conspiracy and sex trafficking last month.
U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said Saturday his office is still looking into the Epstein case and urged other potential victims to come forward.
He noted in a statement that the indictment against Epstein contained a conspiracy charge, suggesting others could face charges in the case.
Prosecutors say he sexually abused dozens of underage girls. Epstein had pleaded not guilty.
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4:05 p.m.
Financier Jeffrey Epstein was placed on suicide watch after an episode in July in which he sustained injuries to his neck, a person familiar with the matter says.
While on the watch, he received daily psychiatric evaluations.
Epstein was found unresponsive in his New York cell Saturday and pronounced dead at a hospital.
It has not been confirmed if the bruising to his neck reported on July 23 was self-inflicted or the result of an assault.
Epstein was taken off suicide watch at the end of July, the person said.
The person wasn’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to The Associated Press Saturday on condition of anonymity.
-By Michael Balsamo
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2:40 p.m.
A Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee says in a scathing letter to Attorney General William Barr that “heads must roll” following the suicide of financier Jeffrey Epstein as he awaited trial on sex-trafficking charges.
Sen. Ben Sasse, of Nebraska, wrote Saturday that everyone in the Justice Department knew Epstein was a suicide risk and that “his dark secrets couldn’t be allowed to die with him.”
Epstein was found unresponsive in his New York cell earlier Saturday and pronounced dead at a hospital.
A person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that Epstein had been taken off suicide watch before his death. Sasse is demanding an answer from Barr on why that decision was made.
-By Michael Balsamo
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1:05 p.m.
Financier Jeffrey Epstein had been taken off suicide watch before he took his own life while behind bars at a federal lockup in New York City, a person familiar with the matter has told The Associated Press.
The person wasn’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to the AP Saturday on condition of anonymity.
It wasn’t immediately clear when Epstein was taken off suicide watch at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan.
Epstein had previously been injured with bruises to the neck while in custody, though it wasn’t clear if those were self-inflicted or the result of an assault.
-By Michael Balsamo
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12:45 p.m.
Attorney General William Barr says he was “appalled” to learn of Jeffrey Epstein’s suicide in jail.
Barr said in a statement Saturday that Epstein’s death in federal custody “raises serious questions that must be answered.”
Barr has ordered the inspector general to open an investigation into the death. The FBI is also investigating.
A person familiar with the matter says Barr was “livid” that Epstein was able to take his own life.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity in order to discuss private conversations.
The U.S. Bureau of Prisons said Epstein was found unresponsive in his cell in the Metropolitan Correctional Center about 6:30 a.m. Saturday. He was facing federal sex-trafficking charges. He had pleaded not guilty.
-By Michael Balsamo
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11:25 a.m.
A Florida lawmaker and lawyers for some of Jeffrey Epstein’s accusers say they will continue to seek justice despite the financier’s death by suicide.
State Sen. Lauren Book has pushed for an investigation into the lenient treatment Epstein received while serving a sentence on prostitution solicitation charges in Florida.
She said Saturday that she would push to bring to justice those who helped Epstein even though his accusers will not get their day in court.
Sigrid McCawley is a lawyer for an Epstein accuser. She said “the reckoning of accountability begun by the voices of brave and truthful victims should not end” with Epstein’s death.
Another attorney, Spencer Kuvin, said it’s clear Epstein “saw that he was going to be held accountable.” He said the accusers will continue to seek justice “against those that stood by.”
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11:10 a.m.
Federal authorities say the FBI is investigating the “apparent suicide” of the financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The U.S. Bureau of Prisons said Epstein was found unresponsive in his cell in the Metropolitan Correctional Center about 6:30 a.m. Saturday.
Officials said staff tried to revive him and Epstein was transported to a local hospital for treatment. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Epstein’s arrest last month launched separate investigations into how authorities handled his case initially when similar charges were first brought against him in Florida more than a decade ago.
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10:50 a.m.
Some of Jeffrey Epstein’s accusers and their lawyers are angry that the financier’s suicide will prevent him from facing them in court.
A former law enforcement official says that Epstein died by suicide while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges in New York. The official had been briefed on the matter but spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to discuss it publicly.
Jennifer Araoz (uh-ROZ’) says in a statement Saturday she and other accusers will be scarred for the rest of their lives, while he won’t confront the consequences of the “trauma he caused so many people.”
Brad Edwards is a lawyer for nearly two dozen other accusers. Edwards calls Epstein’s suicide a “selfish act” that was “not the ending anyone was looking for.”
Epstein had pleaded not guilty.
-By Jim Mustian
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10:30 a.m.
A former warden says that Jeffrey Epstein’s suicide in jail represents a “shocking failure” of the system.
Cameron Lindsay, who ran three federal lockups, says Epstein should have been under constant supervision.
A former law enforcement official says that the financier was found dead Saturday morning at the Metropolitan Correctional Center. The official had been briefed on the matter but spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to discuss it publicly. He said Epstein died by suicide.
A little over two weeks ago, Epstein was found on the floor of his jail cell with bruises on his neck, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity. At the time, it was not clear whether the injuries were self-inflicted or from an assault.
-By Jim Mustian
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9:55 a.m.
A former law enforcement official tells The Associated Press that Jeffrey Epstein has died by suicide while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges in New York.
The medical examiner’s office in Manhattan confirmed the financier’s death.
The former law enforcement official said Epstein was found dead Saturday morning at the Metropolitan Correctional Center. The official had been briefed on the matter but spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to discuss it publicly.
Epstein’s arrest last month launched separate investigations into how authorities handled his case initially when similar charges were first brought against him in Florida more than a decade ago. U.S. Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta resigned last month after coming under fire for overseeing that deal when he was U.S. attorney in Miami.
-By Jim Mustian
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This and other items have been corrected to show that the name of the jail is the Metropolitan Correctional Center, not the Manhattan Correctional Center.