In a chilling freeze-frame from Jeffrey Epstein’s final night, forensic experts zoom in on a shadowy third figure—unidentified and unacknowledged in official reports—slipping into the restricted Special Housing Unit just after 4 a.m., while guards remain oblivious at their station.T

Forensic analysis of surveillance tapes from Jeffrey Epstein’s last night in custody has revealed a previously unacknowledged third figure, whose unexplained presence in the restricted Special Housing Unit (SHU) at the Metropolitan Correctional Center challenges the official narrative of his solitary suicide. The footage, released by the Department of Justice earlier in 2025 and scrutinized in a CBS News investigation, captures an unidentified individual entering the SHU common area around 4:00 a.m. on August 10, 2019—roughly two hours before Epstein was found hanged. This person is not mentioned in the DOJ’s Office of the Inspector General report, which documented only two staff members entering after midnight.

Compounding the mystery, experts highlight a grainy orange shape ascending a partially visible staircase toward Epstein’s tier at approximately 10:40 p.m. on August 9. Official accounts described this as a corrections officer carrying linen, but video forensics specialists, including retired NYPD sergeant Conor McCourt and Jim Stafford, argue it more closely resembles an inmate in an orange jumpsuit. “Based on the limited video, it’s more likely it’s a person in an orange uniform,” McCourt stated. Four other experts concurred, noting the shape’s fluid movement defies the linen explanation.

The camera’s narrow view leaves most of the staircase and SHU entrance off-frame, contradicting claims that no unauthorized access was possible. Additional discrepancies include signs of screen recording rather than raw footage, metadata indicating edits in May 2025, and missing minutes. Combined with falsified guard logs and Epstein’s removal from suicide watch, these anomalies fuel doubts about security protocols.

The DOJ maintains its suicide ruling, finding no evidence of foul play. Yet, amid ongoing Epstein file releases under the 2025 Transparency Act, these revelations intensify scrutiny: Does the mysterious third figure’s presence indicate intrusion, undermining assurances of isolation? As calls for unredacted footage grow, Epstein’s death remains a flashpoint for questions of accountability and cover-up.