Some camera footage from near Jeffrey Epstein's cell is reportedly 'unusable'

(Image credit: Chris Hondros/Getty Images)

last updated 27 August 2019

Take this for what it's worth, from The Washington Post:

At least one camera in the hallway outside the cell where authorities say registered sex offender Jeffrey Epstein hanged himself earlier this month had footage that is unusable, although other, clearer footage was captured in the area, according to three people briefed on the evidence gathered earlier this month. It was not immediately clear why some video footage outside Epstein's cell is too flawed for investigators to use or what is visible in the usable footage. ... It's unclear whether the flaw in the taping affected a limited duration of the footage or whether it was a chronic problem in the beleaguered Manhattan facility. [The Washington Post]

Epstein's death has been ruled a suicide, but not everyone is yet convinced that he killed himself, including Epstein's lawyers. Conspiracy theories about his demise — floated by, among other people, President Trump, himself a longtime Epstein acquaintance — abound, thanks in part to Epstein's influential friends and his alleged trafficking of underage girls to powerful men, and also to missteps and irregularities like this at the Manhattan Correctional Center. The FBI and Justice Department's inspector general's office are both investigating Epstein's death and the footage is important to these inquiries. Read more at The Washington Post.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.