A judge unsealed Epstein's purported 2019 suicide note. More documents could follow

The Department of Justice has released millions of documents and images from criminal investigations into Jeffrey Epstein since December, but his purported suicide note was sealed in an unrelated court case until this week. Jon Elswick/AP hide caption toggle caption Jon Elswick/AP A suicide note purportedly written by Jeffrey Epstein in prison has been publicly released, nearly seven years after Epstein's former cellmate said he found it. District Judge Kenneth Karas unsealed the one-page note Wednesday in response to a legal petition from the New York Times , which reported on its existence last week. NPR has not independently verified the authenticity of the note. The five sentences on a sheet of lined paper read in part: "It is a treat to be able to choose one's time to say goodbye. Watcha want me to do — Bust out cryin!! NO FUN — NOT WORTH IT!!" Nicholas Tartaglione has said he discovered the note while sharing a cell with Epstein at the now-closed Metropolitan Correctional Center . The two overlapped for about two weeks in July 2019 — shortly after Epstein's arrest on federal sex trafficking charges — as they awaited their respective sentences, according to documents released by the Justice Department. Their cohabitation ended after Epstein was found unconscious in his cell with marks on his neck , in a suspected suicide attempt outlined in a 2023 Department of Justice Office of Inspector General report . …