The ‘Epstein’s Suicide’ Video in the Latest DOJ Release Isn’t What It Seems

An unlabeled video from the astir caller merchandise of Jeffrey Epstein files from the Department of Justice is circulating connected societal media. While the 12-second video purports to amusement Epstein’s termination successful his situation cell, the preceding papers successful the accumulation makes wide that it did not originate from the DOJ itself.

“Came crossed a purported video of Epstein's termination (leaked by anonymous source),” the email reads, referencing an attachment and linking to a Google Drive file. “Is this real???”

WIRED spoke with the proprietor of the telephone fig listed connected the website included successful the email’s signature. Ali Kabbaj, who identified himself arsenic an autarkic journalist, said that helium recovered the video connected the acheronian web and sent it to national investigators successful 2021 for confirmation. He says helium ne'er got a reply.

“I’m shocked I’m successful these files,” helium told WIRED.

The video archetypal surfaced erstwhile Drop Site News shared it connected X arsenic “a 12 2nd video from 4:29 americium connected the time Jeffrey Epstein died.” While this latest circular of Epstein files aren’t yet connected the DOJ’s website, they had seemingly guessed the nexus by pursuing the URL formatting of erstwhile releases. WIRED identified the email associated with the video by pursuing that aforesaid formatting to presumption the preceding file.

The nexus to the video record connected the DOJ’s website present seems to beryllium broken, but the footage appears to lucifer a video that appeared connected YouTube successful 2019. The idiosyncratic who uploaded the video describes its contents arsenic “rendering 3D graphics.” DOJ did not instrumentality an contiguous petition for remark connected wherefore the nexus was nary longer working, but implicit the play the section removed respective different files from its website for further reappraisal and redaction.

In a June 2023 study connected Jeffrey Epstein’s clip successful prison, the DOJ’s Office of the Inspector General concluded that determination was nary video camera successful Epstein’s cell. Indeed, connected the nighttime Epstein died, “​​recorded video grounds … for the SHU country wherever Epstein was housed was lone disposable from 1 situation information camera owed to a malfunction of MCC New York’s Digital Video Recorder strategy that occurred connected July 29, 2019.” New York City’s main aesculapian examiner ruled Epstein’s decease a termination successful August 2019.

Still, conspiracy theories person followed Epstein’s death, fueled successful portion by the circumstances of what video grounds is available. In July, the DOJ released what it described arsenic “full raw” surveillance footage from the situation camera that was operational. As WIRED archetypal reported, metadata indicated that the footage had alternatively been modified. Further WIRED investigation revealed that the video was successful information 2 clips that had been stitched together, cutting retired astir 3 minutes of footage successful the process.

The Epstein Files Transparency Act requires that the DOJ people each unclassified records successful its possession related to the probe and prosecution of Epstein. So far, the files the DOJ has released see photos of Epstein’s land location and Manhattan townhouse, Epstein associates including Ghislaine Maxwell and erstwhile US president Bill Clinton, and assorted question records and expansive assemblage materials.