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Unseen photos of Epstein's body published by US government
The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has released previously unseen photographs of Jeffrey Epstein's body on a stretcher, taken shortly after his death in custody in 2019. The images, part of a declassified FBI report, include graphic close-ups of injuries on Epstein's neck.
Release of millions of documents
The 20 images were among millions of files made public by the DoJ on Friday as part of the latest batch of Epstein-related documents. Epstein, who was facing sex trafficking and conspiracy charges, was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York on 10 August 2019.
FBI investigation details
The newly released FBI report, titled Jeffrey Epstein death investigation, appears to be a probe conducted by the agency's New York field office. The 23-page document is marked as unclassified and includes unredacted photographs showing Epstein's neck injuries and resuscitation attempts by medics.
The images, timestamped 06:49 on 10 August 2019-approximately 16 minutes after he was discovered unresponsive-depict Epstein on a stretcher. While the exact location is unclear, records indicate he was transported to a nearby hospital at 06:39, where he was later pronounced dead. Three additional photos, labeled as taken at a hospital, show close-ups of his head and neck injuries. Epstein's name appears on each image, though his first name is misspelled as "Jeffery" in some.
Verification and corroborating evidence
BBC Verify conducted reverse image searches and found no prior online publication of the photos before 30 January. The files also include an 89-page post-mortem report from the New York Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) and FBI emails containing the same images, albeit redacted in some versions.
The post-mortem report highlights two fractures in Epstein's thyroid cartilage, a detail noted in the FBI documents. A six-page timeline within the report outlines Epstein's detention from his arrest on 6 July 2019 until his death, revealing he was placed on suicide watch after a failed suicide attempt on 23 July 2019.
Psychological evaluation and prison failures
During a session with a psychologist the day after his suicide attempt, Epstein denied any intent to harm himself, stating, "It would be crazy to take my life," according to the documents. He added, "I have a life and I want to go back to living my life."
Prison records show the warden had recommended Epstein not be housed alone and called for 30-minute cell checks and unannounced rounds. However, his cellmate was released the day before his death, and guards failed to conduct scheduled checks at 03:00 and 05:00 on 9 August. The unit's camera system was also non-operational. Epstein's body was discovered during a routine morning check.
Redacted and unredacted versions
A second, 17-page version of the FBI report, with redactions, was also released. This version omits the psychologist's report, detention timeline, and images. The reason for including both redacted and unredacted versions remains unclear.
The DoJ has not responded to requests for comment, and the FBI declined to provide further details.
