Much of the nation was stunned by reports on Saturday that wealthy financier and previously convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein had died in an apparent suicide in his New York jail cell while awaiting trial on charges related to child sex trafficking — and now, federal authorities want answers.
With conspiracy theories abound — some even tying Epstein’s death to former President Bill Clinton — Attorney General William Barr released a statement over the weekend announcing that the Justice Department and the FBI would be probing the 66-year-old’s sudden demise.
Bill Barr wants answers
In his brief statement, Barr said he was “appalled” to learn of Epstein’s death, which came early Saturday morning.
“I was appalled to learn that Jeffrey Epstein was found dead early this morning from an apparent suicide while in federal custody,” Barr said.
The multimillionaire had been found unconscious in his jail cell. He was subsequently transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
“Mr. Epstein’s death raises serious questions that must be answered,” Barr said. “In addition to the FBI’s investigation, I have consulted with the Inspector General [IG], who is opening an investigation into the circumstances of Mr. Epstein’s death.”
An official cause of Epstein’s death has yet to be released.
According to The Washington Examiner, both the DOJ and the IG’s office declined to comment further on the impending probe.
Questions remain
With more questions than answers, conspiracy theorists have run wild with the news of Epstein’s death. Adding fuel to the fire were reports that Epstein was previously on suicide watch after an apparent attempt to take his own life last month, but had been taken out of the program prior to his death.
“It was not immediately clear why Epstein was taken off suicide watch,” Reuters reported. But that wasn’t the only instance in which staff at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) dropped the ball on Epstein.
“At the MCC, two jail guards are required to make separate checks on all prisoners every 30 minutes, but that procedure was not followed overnight,” Reuters reported.
We may never know what really happened to Jeffrey Epstein, but we can bet Barr and his team at the DOJ will do their best to uncover the truth. And who knows who will be implicated when it’s all said and done?
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