Jeffrey Epstein, a financier and convicted sex criminal who was recently re-arrested on charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy, was found dead on Saturday morning. Authorities said the case was a suicide, but according to a Washington Post reporter, sources close to Epstein say he was murdered.
“People close to Epstein fear he was murdered…as Epstein told authorities someone tried to kill him in a previous incident weeks earlier. He was described as being in good spirits in recent days,” The Washington Post‘s Carol Leonnig tweeted.
People close to Epstein fear he was murdered…as Epstein told authorities someone tried to kill him in a previous incident weeks earlier. He was described as being in good spirits in recent days… https://t.co/J9QNSo1N2v
— Carol Leonnig (@CarolLeonnig) August 10, 2019
Given Epstein’s connections to many prominent individuals, some of whom were named co-conspirators in his case, conspiracy theories about his death emerged almost immediately, with some blaming Hillary or Bill Clinton and others straining to connect Epstein’s death to Trump-Russia “collusion.”
Some alleged co-conspirators have already been named publicly, including former Sen. George Mitchell (D-Maine); former Gov. Bill Richardson (D-N.M.); the late scientist Marvin Minsky; modeling scout Jean-Luc Brunel; Hyatt Hotels magnate Tom Pritzker; prominent hedge fund manager Glenn Dubin; Epstein’s lawyer Alan Dershowitz; and Prince Andrew. Most of these men have denied the allegations. Many of their names were released Friday, hours before the prisoner’s death.
While the burden of proof certainly rests on those claiming some sort of conspiratorial murder of Epstein, Leonnig’s tweet suggests that those close to the accused sex trafficker also think his death is fishy.
On Saturday, Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) sent Attorney General Bill Barr a scathing letter demanding answers as to how the prisoner could have committed suicide.
It does not appear that The Washington Post has published an article based on the information on Leonnig’s tweet, so it may not be confirmed. This is a breaking story and will be updated if more information becomes available.
Follow Tyler O’Neil, the author of this article, on Twitter at @Tyler2ONeil.
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