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

An unlabeled video from the most recent release of Jeffrey Epstein files from the Department of Justice is circulating on social media. While the 12-second video purports to show Epstein’s suicide in his prison cell, the preceding document in the production makes clear that it did not originate from the DOJ itself.

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

WIRED spoke with the owner of the phone number listed on the website included in the email’s signature. Ali Kabbaj, who identified himself as an independent journalist, said that he found the video on the dark web and sent it to federal investigators in 2021 for confirmation. He says he never got a reply.

“I’m shocked I’m in these files,” he told WIRED.

The video first surfaced when Drop Site News shared it on X as “a 12 second video from 4:29 am on the day Jeffrey Epstein died.” While this latest round of Epstein files aren’t yet on the DOJ’s website, they had apparently guessed the link by following the URL formatting of previous releases. WIRED identified the email associated with the video by following that same formatting to view the preceding file.

The link to the video file on the DOJ’s website now seems to be broken, but the footage appears to match a video that appeared on YouTube in 2019. The person who uploaded the video describes its contents as “rendering 3D graphics.” DOJ did not return an immediate request for comment on why the link was no longer working, but over the weekend the department removed several other files from its website for additional review and redaction.

In a June 2023 report on Jeffrey Epstein’s time in prison, the DOJ’s Office of the Inspector General concluded that there was no video camera in Epstein’s cell. Indeed, on the night Epstein died, “​​recorded video evidence … for the SHU area where Epstein was housed was only available from one prison security camera due to a malfunction of MCC New York’s Digital Video Recorder system that occurred on July 29, 2019.” New York City’s chief medical examiner ruled Epstein’s death a suicide in August 2019.

Still, conspiracy theories have followed Epstein’s death, fueled in part by the circumstances of what video evidence is available. In July, the DOJ released what it described as “full raw” surveillance footage from the prison camera that was operational. As WIRED first reported, metadata indicated that the footage had instead been modified. Further WIRED analysis revealed that the video was in fact two clips that had been stitched together, cutting out nearly three minutes of footage in the process.

The Epstein Files Transparency Act requires that the DOJ publish all unclassified records in its possession related to the investigation and prosecution of Epstein. So far, the files the DOJ has released include photos of Epstein’s island home and Manhattan townhouse, Epstein associates including Ghislaine Maxwell and former US president Bill Clinton, and various travel records and grand jury materials.

Given Monday’s release, it apparently also includes tips and questions from members of the public. So far, DOJ releases haven’t come with important context like filenames or whether something was an email attachment. Epstein victims and Democratic lawmakers have both called for a full release rather than the narrow, poorly organized document dumps that the DOJ has trickled out thus far. The public has been eager to review and analyze the releases in the hopes of answering the many questions surrounding Epstein, his crimes, and his subsequent death.

If you or someone you know needs help, call 988 for free, 24-hour support from the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. You can also text HOME to 741-741 for the Crisis Text Line. Outside the US, visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention for crisis centers around the world.