ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Epstein's note from first suicide attempt unsealed by US judge

other · 2026-05-07

On Wednesday, Judge Kenneth Karas from the U.S. District Court in White Plains, New York, released a note penned by Jeffrey Epstein. Nicholas Tartaglione, Epstein's former cellmate, claimed to have discovered this note following Epstein's initial suspected suicide attempt in jail. The document had remained in a courthouse vault for almost five years due to a separate legal matter. The New York Times recently sought its release, along with additional records regarding Tartaglione, a former police officer serving a life sentence. The note, difficult to decipher, contains phrases like "They investigated me for months – found nothing!!!" and "NO FUN."

Key facts

  • Note released by US District Judge Kenneth Karas in White Plains, New York
  • Note had been sealed for nearly five years in a courthouse vault
  • The New York Times petitioned to unseal the note and other documents
  • Nicholas Tartaglione, Epstein's former cellmate, claimed he found the note
  • Tartaglione is a former police officer serving life for killing four people
  • Epstein was found on July 23, 2019 with a strip of bedsheet around his neck
  • Note text includes 'They investigated me for month – found nothing!!!'
  • Note concludes with 'NO FUN' and 'NOT WORTH IT!!'

Entities

Institutions

  • The New York Times

Locations

  • White Plains
  • New York
  • United States

Sources