A U.S. judge has released a purported suicide note from Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex trafficker who died in 2019, according to CNN. The note was reportedly discovered in July 2019 by Epstein’s cellmate, Nicholas Tartaglione, a former police officer convicted of quadruple murder. Tartaglione said he revived Epstein during the initial unsuccessful suicide attempt. A law enforcement source and a source familiar with the incident told CNN at the time that Epstein was found in his Manhattan jail cell with marks on his neck.

Public Interest in Epstein’s Death

The court’s release of the record comes after the Justice Department said it had released millions of documents in its possession related to Epstein. The existence of a purported suicide note was first reported by The New York Times, which shared last week that the note had been concealed from the public for almost seven years. The Times had asked District Judge Kenneth Karas to make public the reported note and other documents related to Tartaglione’s criminal case, and the Justice Department did not oppose the transparency.

“There appears to be a strong public interest in the circumstances surrounding Epstein’s death as described in the unsealing motion. That said, because the Government has no knowledge as to … the accuracy of the factual narrative described in the unsealing motion, the Government defers to the court,” the department wrote to Karas on Monday, indicating that it did not know if the purported note is legitimate. CNN has reached out to DOJ for comment.

DOJ’s Redactions and Trump Photo Controversy

The Department of Justice released thousands of files related to Epstein after Congress passed a law forcing the administration to do so. Many of the files and images were heavily redacted. One image containing a photo of President Donald Trump was later removed from the department’s online library. The president has not been accused of any wrongdoing or charged with any crimes in connection with Epstein, but the redactions have drawn scrutiny from lawmakers.

Context and Ongoing Questions

Epstein was found dead in his cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. A medical examiner ruled that he died by suicide. The cellmate had said he revived Epstein during the initial unsuccessful suicide attempt. “Jeffrey Epstein tried killing himself when he was in the cell with me. I woke up, I brought him back with CPR,” Tartaglione reportedly said. The release of the note and other documents comes amid continued public and political interest in the events surrounding Epstein’s death and the broader legal and political implications.