Pre-dated Epstein death announcement, noose detail, and a plan to “thwart the media” fuel conspiracy theories

Freshly released Justice Department files have reopened online debate over Jeffrey Epstein's death, this time over a draft federal statement dated one day earlier than official prison records.

The discrepancy quickly reignited conspiracy theories claiming Epstein never died, as well as unanswered questions inside the Manhattan jail. Although authorities have consistently ruled the death a suicide, critics are pointing to inconsistencies in the paper trail and investigative record.

Epstein's death announcement is dated before the official timeline

The newly released document was issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.

It bore a Friday, Aug. 9, 2019 date and described Epstein as already found unresponsive and pronounced dead. However, official prison records stated officers discovered him the following morning.

According to official accounts, a corrections officer found Epstein shortly after 6:30 a.m. on Aug 10, 2019. The discovery occurred during breakfast rounds at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan. 

The dated statement attributed to then-U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. Berman said, "Earlier this morning, the Manhattan Correctional Center confirmed that Jeffrey Epstein […] had been found unresponsive in his cell and pronounced dead shortly thereafter." It also described the moment as "disturbing" and emphasized a continued commitment to victims.

Because the date preceded the reported discovery, readers questioned whether the statement reflected a clerical error, a draft, or something else. This draft also did not give a cause of death, something that the statement that was released the following day included.

Online reactions seized on the discrepancy

After the latest files circulated, folks online shared screenshots and interpretations of the date. 

@rschmied showed their skepticism of this draft without saying anything else. They tweeted, "Just a version of the Epstein death announcement dated Friday, August 9th, day before he died in the official announcement which is dated the 10th. Carry on."

Similarly, @barnes_law wrote, "The meme comes alive: Epstein declared dead by a draft press release listing a date before he actually died." These posts spread widely, while others framed the document as confirmation of long-held suspicions around the arrested sex trafficker's death.

Some people pointed to other details from the files.

X user @DMichaelTripi posted, "NEW: Noose allegedly used by Jeffrey Epstein collected at the scene of his death has been determined to have not been used in Epstein’s 'suicide' according to DOJ Inspector General."

Others referenced descriptions within the released files of how authorities moved Epstein’s body from the facility. 

@krassenstein tweeted, "BREAKING: The government put boxes covered in a sheet inside a vehicle to trick the media, pretending that it was Epstein’s body. [...] 'In order to thwart the media, [REDACTED], [REDACTED], and [REDACTED] used boxes and sheets to create what appeared to be a human body, which was put into the white OCME vehicle which the press followed, allowing the black vehicle to depart unnoticed with EPSTEIN’s body.'"

Official findings still cited suicide despite time gaps

Despite current renewed attention, authorities in 2019 ruled Epstein’s death a suicide by hanging. The New York City medical examiner made that determination after reviewing the evidence, though investigators never established a precise time of death.

His death exposed failures at the high-security facility. Guards missed required checks at 3 a.m. and 5 a.m., according to CBS News.

Meanwhile, only one of the surveillance cameras near Epstein's cell was functioning, and it had a limited angle, meaning reports couldn't rule out someone accessing the tier in which he was housed via the stairwell.

Footage released in July 2025 also showed an unidentified figure with orange fabric near Epstein’s unit overnight around 10:30 p.m. Although logs noted the movement, officials drew no public conclusions due to camera limitations.

Epstein, arrested on July 6, 2019, faced federal charges of sex trafficking minors and conspiracy. He pleaded not guilty and was housed in jail awaiting trial. 

The internet is chaotic—but we’ll break it down for you in one daily email. Sign up for the Daily Dot’s newsletter here.