Jeffrey Epstein’s hand-scrawled ‘suicide note’ finally made public – Image for illustrative purposes only (Image credits: Unsplash)
A federal judge in New York has unsealed a handwritten note long linked to Jeffrey Epstein, bringing its cryptic messages into public view after nearly five years under court seal. The document surfaced during an unrelated legal dispute involving Epstein’s former cellmate and remained locked away until a recent petition prompted its release. Its contents, scribbled on yellow legal paper, now stand as one of the few direct artifacts from the period just before Epstein’s death in August 2019.
The Note’s Unexpected Discovery
Former police officer Nicholas Tartaglione, who shared a cell with Epstein at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, first mentioned the note during a podcast appearance last year. He described finding the folded paper tucked inside a graphic novel after Epstein had been moved to another part of the facility. Tartaglione said he opened the book to read and spotted the single sheet of yellow paper ripped from a legal pad.
His lawyers at the time arranged for handwriting experts to examine the document, according to Tartaglione’s account from a July 2025 interview. The note remained in his possession until it became evidence in a separate case that kept it sealed in a courthouse vault. Few outside the immediate legal proceedings knew of its existence until the podcast disclosure brought renewed attention.
Messages Scribbled on the Page
The short note, difficult to read in places, opens with a reference to an investigation that yielded no findings. It then shifts to a reflection on choosing the moment to say goodbye before ending with underlined words of frustration. The tone mixes defiance and resignation in just a few lines.
They investigated me for a month – found nothing!!!
It is a treat to be able to choose the time to say goodbye.
Watcha want me to do – Bust out cryin!!
NO FUN
NOT WORTH IT!!
The note concludes with the underlined phrase “NO FUN. NOT WORTH IT!!”
Tartaglione claimed he had no role in creating the document and turned it over to authorities once its significance became clear. The messages have since been authenticated through the court process that led to their unsealing.
Release Ordered by the Court
U.S. District Judge Kenneth Karas in White Plains approved the unsealing after The New York Times requested access to the documents last week. The note had been held as part of a case involving Tartaglione, who is serving a life sentence for an unrelated quadruple murder. Its release marks the first time the public can read the full text without restriction.
Epstein’s brother Mark has maintained that the circumstances of the death pointed to foul play, citing an independent review of the autopsy that suggested homicidal strangulation. Official records have already documented lapses in prison protocol, including missed guard checks and a malfunctioning camera system on the night in question. The newly public note adds one more primary source to the extensive record of those final weeks.
The document’s emergence offers a direct glimpse into Epstein’s state of mind during his final month in custody, when he had already spent time on suicide watch. Its release closes a small but persistent gap in the public file surrounding one of the most scrutinized cases in recent American legal history.
