Over 150 new photographs from Jeffrey Epstein’s private Caribbean island were leaked last week, but one image has sparked disturbing theories from investigators.
The photo of a fully equipped dental chair surrounded by approximately 12 three-dimensional masks depicting men’s faces staring blankly ahead was one of the most widely shared on social media after the leak.
One investigator is asking: Were the disturbing rubber masks used to hide the identity of Epstein’s clients from his victims during their sex crimes?
The eerie photograph, taken by U.S. Virgin Islands authorities in 2020, shows a dentist chair in the center of a room, surrounded by masks mounted on the walls.
Take a look —
“In the context of what went on at that island, I would be looking for a meaning behind them, as well as any similarities to those who may have been involved in criminal behavior on that island,” former FBI Supervisory Senior Resident Agent Jennifer Coffindaffer told The Daily Mail.
Coffindaffer, who served as the FBI’s senior agent for the Virgin Islands between 2011 and 2012, offered a chilling theory about the masks’ purpose: they may have been used to conceal the identities of perpetrators as they committed sex crimes against victims on the island known locally as “pedophile island.”
“The dentist’s chair itself was not overly surprising given many wealthy people had items like this, including hairdressing chairs for their private use, but the masks were very interesting to me,” Coffindaffer said.
The former FBI agent said if she were investigating, she would search for hair follicles on the masks and evidence they had been worn.
“’It is not unusual for those involved in these kinds of sex crimes, especially those involving minors, to wear masks,” she said.
“They appear to be indicative of something,” Coffindaffer said. “What exactly that is is hard to tell from the image release, but as an investigator they would certainly pique my interest.”
The dental chair is linked to Epstein’s last known girlfriend, Karyna Shuliak, a Belarus-born dentist. Shuliak was the last person to speak with Epstein by phone before his mysterious death while in prison.
Records show Epstein helped put Shuliak’s through dentist school and reportedly named her as a beneficiary in at least one trust established just days before his death. Their relationship reportedly began shortly after Epstein’s 2010 release from a Florida jail following his conviction for procuring a minor for prostitution.
The House Oversight Committee did not release additional information identifying who created the masks.
“It is unclear what purpose the room served, and the artist or maker of the masks has not been identified,” stated their report.
The images were released by Rep. Robert Garcia, a California Democrat and ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, as part of an effort to increase pressure on the Justice Department to release all investigative files on Epstein.
“These new images are a disturbing look into the world of Jeffrey Epstein and his island,” Garcia said in a statement. “We are releasing these photos and videos to ensure public transparency in our investigation and to help piece together the full picture of Epstein’s horrific crimes.”
Republicans on the House Oversight Committee criticized Democrats for releasing “cherry-picked” materials.
“The Majority is reviewing these materials and will make them public soon, just as the Committee has already done with the more than 65,000 pages produced during this investigation,” a GOP committee spokesperson said. “It is odd that Democrats are once again releasing selective information, as they have done before.”