Newly released Justice Department records reviewed by the Miami Herald reveal that large volumes of documents were shredded inside the federal jail where Jeffrey Epstein died in August 2019.
The records add to speculation and questions about potential obstruction of justice and failures in the government's investigation.
Less than a week after Epstein was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan, inmates and correctional staff reported unusual activity tied to the Bureau of Prisons' "After Action Team," which had been deployed to review the high-profile death.
According to records, an inmate was instructed on Aug. 15 and 16 to transport multiple bags of shredded documents to a rear-gate dumpster.
The inmate described the volume as extraordinary, saying officials were "shredding everything" and even directing him to destroy additional boxes of material. The activity alarmed several staff members.
One correctional officer contacted the FBI's National Threat Operations Center on Aug. 16, stating he had "never seen this amount" of shredded material leaving the facility.
Another officer later warned investigators in a memo that it seemed inappropriate for an investigative team to be destroying records related to an ongoing inquiry.
Federal agents briefly attempted to intervene, suggesting the dumpster be checked before collection.
However, by the time action was taken, the trash had already been removed. On the same day, prosecutors discovered that key institutional records, including inmate count slips from before Epstein's death, were missing, raising further concerns about the integrity of evidence.
The Herald's analysis of thousands of pages of documents found that Epstein's death triggered not one but three separate federal probes:
— The primary investigation into his death, officially ruled a suicide by hanging.
— An inquiry into possible obstruction of justice involving the shredding of documents and potential misconduct by prison staff.
— A "color of law" investigation into an unrelated alleged blackmail-for-sex scheme involving a correctional officer.
Despite the medical examiner's ruling, doubts about Epstein's cause of death persisted.
Dr. Michael Baden, a forensic pathologist hired by Epstein's estate, argued that injuries to Epstein's neck were more consistent with strangulation than suicide.
Compounding those concerns, Epstein's cell was never treated as a crime scene, meaning key forensic evidence, including the fabric allegedly used in the hanging, was never fully analyzed.
The shredding allegations, meanwhile, were never fully resolved.
An anonymous letter later sent to a federal judge alleged that authorities were covering up the destruction of records, though there is no indication investigators pursued the claim further or reviewed surveillance footage from the prison.
The Herald also uncovered additional troubling details about conditions inside the jail. Financial records showed one officer received thousands of dollars in cash deposits, some flagged as suspicious by a bank, during the period Epstein was housed at the jail.
Two guards on duty the night Epstein died were charged with falsifying records and failing to conduct required checks, but those charges were quietly dropped in 2021 under a deferred prosecution agreement. Both officers were later fired.
Overall, the records paint a picture of widespread irregularities, fragmented investigations and missed opportunities.
The outlet found no evidence authorities determined what documents were shredded or whether critical evidence was lost, leaving lingering questions about the handling of one of the most scrutinized deaths in federal custody.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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