NEW YORK (AP) — The Latest on the death of Jeffrey Epstein (all times local):
2:40 p.m.
A Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee says in a scathing letter to Attorney General William Barr that “heads must roll” following the suicide of financier Jeffrey Epstein as he awaited trial on sex-trafficking charges.
Sen. Ben Sasse, of Nebraska, wrote Saturday that everyone in the Justice Department knew Epstein was a suicide risk and that “his dark secrets couldn’t be allowed to die with him.”
Epstein was found unresponsive in his New York cell earlier Saturday and pronounced dead at a hospital.
A person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press that Epstein had been taken off suicide watch before his death. Sasse is demanding an answer from Barr on why that decision was made.
-By Michael Balsamo
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1:05 p.m.
Financier Jeffrey Epstein had been taken off suicide watch before he took his own life while behind bars at a federal lockup in New York City, a person familiar with the matter has told The Associated Press.
The person wasn’t authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke to the AP Saturday on condition of anonymity.
It wasn’t immediately clear when Epstein was taken off suicide watch at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan.
Epstein had previously been injured with bruises to the neck while in custody, though it wasn’t clear if those were self-inflicted or the result of an assault.
-By Michael Balsamo
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12:45 p.m.
Attorney General William Barr says he was “appalled” to learn of Jeffrey Epstein’s suicide in jail.
Barr said in a statement Saturday that Epstein’s death in federal custody “raises serious questions that must be answered.”
Barr has ordered the inspector general to open an investigation into the death. The FBI is also investigating.
A person familiar with the matter says Barr was “livid” that Epstein was able to take his own life.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity in order to discuss private conversations.
The U.S. Bureau of Prisons said Epstein was found unresponsive in his cell in the Metropolitan Correctional Center about 6:30 a.m. Saturday. He was facing federal sex-trafficking charges. He had pleaded not guilty.
-By Michael Balsamo
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11:25 a.m.
A Florida lawmaker and lawyers for some of Jeffrey Epstein’s accusers say they will continue to seek justice despite the financier’s death by suicide.
State Sen. Lauren Book has pushed for an investigation into the lenient treatment Epstein received while serving a sentence on prostitution solicitation charges in Florida.
She said Saturday that she would push to bring to justice those who helped Epstein even though his accusers will not get their day in court.
Sigrid McCawley is a lawyer for an Epstein accuser. She said “the reckoning of accountability begun by the voices of brave and truthful victims should not end” with Epstein’s death.
Another attorney, Spencer Kuvin, said it’s clear Epstein “saw that he was going to be held accountable.” He said the accusers will continue to seek justice “against those that stood by.”
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11:10 a.m.
Federal authorities say the FBI is investigating the “apparent suicide” of the financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The U.S. Bureau of Prisons said Epstein was found unresponsive in his cell in the Metropolitan Correctional Center about 6:30 a.m. Saturday.
Officials said staff tried to revive him and Epstein was transported to a local hospital for treatment. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Epstein’s arrest last month launched separate investigations into how authorities handled his case initially when similar charges were first brought against him in Florida more than a decade ago.
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10:50 a.m.
Some of Jeffrey Epstein’s accusers and their lawyers are angry that the financier’s suicide will prevent him from facing them in court.
A former law enforcement official says that Epstein died by suicide while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges in New York. The official had been briefed on the matter but spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to discuss it publicly.
Jennifer Araoz (uh-ROZ’) says in a statement Saturday she and other accusers will be scarred for the rest of their lives, while he won’t confront the consequences of the “trauma he caused so many people.”
Brad Edwards is a lawyer for nearly two dozen other accusers. Edwards calls Epstein’s suicide a “selfish act” that was “not the ending anyone was looking for.”
Epstein had pleaded not guilty.
-By Jim Mustian
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10:30 a.m.
A former warden says that Jeffrey Epstein’s suicide in jail represents a “shocking failure” of the system.
Cameron Lindsay, who ran three federal lockups, says Epstein should have been under constant supervision.
A former law enforcement official says that the financier was found dead Saturday morning at the Metropolitan Correctional Center. The official had been briefed on the matter but spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to discuss it publicly. He said Epstein died by suicide.
A little over two weeks ago, Epstein was found on the floor of his jail cell with bruises on his neck, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity. At the time, it was not clear whether the injuries were self-inflicted or from an assault.
-By Jim Mustian
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9:55 a.m.
A former law enforcement official tells The Associated Press that Jeffrey Epstein has died by suicide while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges in New York.
The medical examiner’s office in Manhattan confirmed the financier’s death.
The former law enforcement official said Epstein was found dead Saturday morning at the Metropolitan Correctional Center. The official had been briefed on the matter but spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to discuss it publicly.
Epstein’s arrest last month launched separate investigations into how authorities handled his case initially when similar charges were first brought against him in Florida more than a decade ago. U.S. Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta resigned last month after coming under fire for overseeing that deal when he was U.S. attorney in Miami.
-By Jim Mustian
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This and other items have been corrected to show that the name of the jail is the Metropolitan Correctional Center, not the Manhattan Correctional Center.
