Disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein was found semi-conscious in his New York City jail cell sometime in the past two days, curled in a fetal position with marks on his neck, sources close to the investigation told NBC News on Wednesday night. Epstein, 66, is on suicide watch, and NBC's sources offered differing opinions about the injuries. Two sources said Epstein may have tried to hang himself, a third suggested the injuries were minor and Epstein may have faked an attack or injuries to get transferred to another facility, and a fourth source said he may have actually been attacked by a jailed former cop, Nicholas Tartaglione.
A lawyer for Tartaglione, jailed for killing four men in a cocaine smuggling ring, denied that his client had attacked Epstein, and said the two men got along well. NBC News tried and failed to get comments from Epstein's lawyers, the Bureau of Prisons, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the U.S. attorney's office. Epstein is incarcerated in the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan while he awaits trial for charges including sex trafficking of underage girls.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Suspect charged after 11 die in Vancouver car attackSpeed Read Kai-Ji Adam Lo drove an SUV into a crowd at the Lapu Lapu Day festival
-
Kenya arrests alleged ant smugglersspeed read Two young Belgians have been charged for attempting to smuggle ants out of the country to exotic pet buyers
-
Judge ends Eric Adams case, Trump leverageSpeed Read Federal corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams were dismissed, as requested by Trump's Justice Department
-
Texas arrests midwife on felony abortion chargesSpeed Read Maria Margarita Rojas and an employee at one of her clinics are the first to be criminally charged under Texas' near-total abortion ban
-
South Carolina to execute prisoner by firing squadspeed read Death row inmate Brad Sigmon prefers the squad over the electric chair or lethal injection, his lawyer said
-
Mexico extradites 29 cartel figures amid US tariff threatSpeed Read The extradited suspects include Rafael Caro Quintero, long sought after killing a US narcotics agent
-
Leonard Peltier released from prisonSpeed Read The Native American activist convicted of killing two FBI agents had his life sentence commuted by former President Joe Biden
-
Ex-Sen. Bob Menendez sentenced to 11 yearsSpeed Read The former New Jersey senator was convicted on federal bribery and corruption charges last year
