Prosecutors in New York say surveillance footage of Jeffrey Epstein's cell during his first suicide attempt back on July 22 has been destroyed.
According to a letter filed in Manhattan Federal Court by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maurene Comey and Jason Swergold, the footage recorded on July 22 and 23 was destroyed due to a "record-keeping error" and that staff at the Metropolitan Correctional Center where the disgraced billionaire was being held, had instead accidentally preserved footage from a different cell.
“The footage contained on the preserved video was for the correct date and time, but captured a different tier than the one where Cell-1 was located because the preserved video did not show corrections officers responding to any of the cells seen on the video. After speaking with MCC legal counsel, the Government was informed that the MCC computer system listed a different, incorrect cell for Tartaglione,” prosecutors wrote in the letter filed on Thursday.
"The requested video no longer exists on the backup system and has not since at least August 2019 as a result of technical errors," prosecutors wrote.
Epstein was found on the floor of his jail cell with bruises on his neck on July 22 while he was awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.
Confusion has surrounded the footage of Epstein's first suicide attempt after Swergold initially told the court that the video had not been preserved, however, less than 24 hours later, Swergold reversed his position, saying the video had been archived.
Epstein had allegedly tried to commit suicide while sharing a cell with accused quadruple murderer, Nick Tartaglione, officials said. Tartaglione claims he to have helped Epstein after finding him unconscious in his cell.
Tartaglione, a former NYPD officer, is facing the death penalty for his alleged role in murders that have been connected with a Mexican cartel.
Correctional officers discovered Epstein's body in a different cell, less than a month later after hanging himself alone in his cell.
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