Convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in his cell on Saturday night. But the circumstances of his death have raised questions and speculations.
Epstein was put on suicide watch a month ago, after he was found unconscious with marks around his neck in his cell. He was recently moved to a more secure cell of the Manhattan prison.
The politically connected financier had said that someone was trying to kill him. After a daily psych evaluation, he was taken off suicide watch at the end of July and had appeared to be in good spirits during his last days.
President Trump, who was a known acquaintance of Epstein, fuelled conspiracy rumours on Twitter after he retweeted posts linking Epstein's death to former president Bill Clinton. Reports stated that Epstein mysteriously died on the day documents regarding Clinton using Epstein's private jet were unsealed.
In addition to this, rumours have been circulating that the prison cameras coincidentally stopped working during the time of Epstein's death.
Attorney General William Barr has directed Inspector General to investigate the circumstances surrounding Epstein's death.
"I was appalled to learn that Jeffrey Epstein was found dead early this morning from an apparent suicide while in federal custody. Mr. Esptein's death raises serious questions that must be answered. In addition to the FBI's investigation, I have consulted with the Inspector General who is opening an investigation into the circumstances of Mr. Epstein's death," said Barr.
Epstein was arrested for sexually abusing underage girls in the 2000s. His connections include celebrities, businessmen and politicians like Bill Clinton and Donald Trump.
Clinton and Trump both denied having any relations with underage girls and Clinton went on to say that he had no knowledge of these "terrible crimes". However, Trump knew of Epstein's taste for young girls and had made comments on it before.
In 2002, Trump told a New York magazine journalist on the record that Epstein was a terrific guy and that he "likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side".
