Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein is dead and the investigations into how a man, who tried to kill himself two weeks prior, was removed from suicide watch hours before he died. The guard that was supposed to be keeping an eye on him was some temp job and he was left alone for hours (via NYT):
One of the two people guarding Jeffrey Epstein when he apparently hanged himself in a federal jail cell was not a full-fledged correctional officer, and neither guard had checked on Mr. Epstein for several hours before he was discovered, prison and law-enforcement officials said.
Those details emerged on Monday as Attorney General William P. Barr sharply criticized the management of the federal jail in Manhattan where Mr. Epstein, who was accused of sexually abusing dozens of teenage girls, was found dead on Saturday morning.
“We are now learning of serious irregularities at this facility that are deeply concerning and demand a thorough investigation,” said Mr. Barr, who, as the country’s top law enforcement official, is responsible for federal prisons.
“We will get to the bottom of what happened,” he added. “There will be accountability.”
Mr. Barr did not offer additional information about the problems at the jail, but questions have been raised about why Mr. Epstein had been taken off suicide watch just days after apparently trying to kill himself and then was left alone in a cell without close supervision.
Epstein, who made his fortune as a former hedge fund manager, has deep money pockets, but also to some of the most powerful people in the world. From The British Royal Family to President Donald Trump and the Clintons, Epstein knew the heavy-hitters of high society. It was also something of an open secret that the man had certain proclivities, which landed him in legal trouble before his arrest this summer where he was formally indicted on a variety of sex crimes, including trafficking girls as young as 14. Reportedly, some of his victims were forced to service some very powerful people, people who would certainly not want this information to leak to the press. Troves of incriminating evidence were found in his Manhattan residence and more could be on the way as the FBI raided his mansion in the Virgin Islands dubbed “Pedophile Island.” The connections, the circumstances surrounding his death, and the events that occurred prior make way for a deluge of questions. The FBI and the inspector general for the Department of Justice are looking into Epstein’s suicide that appalled Attorney General William Barr. While the conspiracy theory nuts are having a field day, we can’t blame them. This whole story stinks. Is it a conspiracy? We’re not going there, but it does look at the very least like an egregious case of government incompetence. Like Grade-A idiocy right here, which is why two guards have been suspended and the warden reassigned.
In the meantime, the case against Epstein will move forward.
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