Nicholas Tartaglione, a former cellmate of Jeffrey Epstein at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in 2019, has long been a key witness in the saga surrounding Epstein’s death. A quadruple murder suspect himself, Tartaglione shared a cell with Epstein briefly and was the one who alerted guards during Epstein’s apparent suicide attempt on July 23, 2019, claiming he found Epstein with an orange cloth around his neck.
In records released as part of the massive 2025 Epstein files dump by the Department of Justice, Tartaglione’s statements resurface, detailing the chaotic conditions in the Special Housing Unit. He described Epstein as distressed but denied any involvement in the incident, insisting it was a suicide attempt. Newly unredacted portions highlight inconsistencies: guards’ delayed responses, malfunctioning protocols, and Epstein’s rapid removal from suicide watch despite risks.
Critics point to broader failures exposed in the files—falsified check logs, sleeping guards Tova Noel and Michael Thomas (later charged), and cameras that captured limited footage, including a mysterious orange figure on the stairs at 10:40 p.m. on August 9. The 2023 DOJ Inspector General report and 2025 releases reaffirm suicide, finding no foul play, yet Tartaglione’s account fuels skepticism about negligence masking deeper issues.
Epstein’s brother Mark and experts like pathologist Michael Baden question the neck fractures and scene handling, arguing the jail’s disarray—chronic understaffing, ignored protocols—created plausible deniability. While no evidence proves murder, the files underscore how lapses allowed a high-profile inmate with ties to elites to die unanswered.
Tartaglione’s testimony, echoed by other inmates’ limited cooperation, paints a picture of systemic rot. In protecting the powerful from scrutiny, the official story relies on flawed oversight, leaving victims and the public demanding why justice faltered in those grim halls.
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