While the impeachment drama inside the House of Representatives sucked up the attention of the major news networks on Wednesday, inside a quiet courtroom in White Plains, New York, a major bombshell in the investigation of Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged suicide went largely unnoticed.
Prosecutors said yesterday that the footage of the outside of Epstein’s cell during a July suicide attempt has disappeared.
According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Swergold, no one knows where to find the video record of Epstein’s cell. Before his death, Epstein shared a cell with potential death row inmate Nick Tartaglione, an ex-cop who is accused of a quadruple murder over a drug deal that went bad.
Epstein told his lawyers that he was scared of Tartaglione and that the ex-cop had “roughed him up” and left his unconscious on the floor of his cell in July. The accusation against Tartaglione was one of the deciding factors in removing Epstein from suicide watch just days before his death.
Tartaglione has denied the accusation and claims he saved Epstein from a suicide attempt.
Tartaglione’s lawyer filed a request that the surveillance footage outside their shared cell be preserved two days after Epstein’s alleged unsuccessful suicide attempt, but the footage has disappeared.
Bruce Barket, an attorney for Tartaglione, confirmed with reporters that the video recording has vanished.
“The video footage was relevant to Tartaglione’s defense because it is potentially evidence of the ex-cop’s good character,” The New York Daily News reported. “In the event Tartaglione is found guilty and reaches the death penalty phase, the Epstein incident could possibly be evidence showing why he doesn’t deserve to die.”
Epstein’s lifeless body was later discovered in the cell on Aug. 10.
A doctor that witnessed the autopsy claims Epstein’s injuries indicate he was murdered.
On the night of his death, two security cameras outside Epstein’s cell had malfunctioned and weren’t working, authorities said. A third security camera outside Epstein’s cell had “unusable” footage. The two correctional officers assigned to perform regular wellness checks on Epstein have been charged with conspiracy and fraud over his death.
Tartaglione was reportedly removed as Epstein’s cellmate the night before he died. The accused murderer has never been questioned about Epstein’s death, his lawyer told The New York Daily News.