A Convenient Death

by Alana Goodman

  And we’re also grateful to our friends and colleagues who provided advice and feedback, especially Michael Goldfarb, Eliana Johnson, Aaron Harison, Victorino Matus, Matthew Continetti, and Rob Lockwood.

  AG:

  Big thanks to my co-author, Daniel Halper, a fantastic reporter and writer whose calmness under pressure helped keep me sane. It was a pleasure to work with and learn from him during this process.

  I am grateful to my wonderful parents for their faith and encouragement. Thanks also to Josh, Dan, Muriel Post, Mark and Myra Goodman, and my editors Toby Harnden, Keith Koffler, and Hugo Gurdon. Much gratitude goes to my friends and family who helped along the way, especially Karen Post, Katherine and Matt McCarty, Noah, Tom, John, Leslie, Stephen the Painter, and the amazing folks at Ocean Reef. Thanks to Jason for his friendship, love, and moral support.

  DH:

  I’m thankful for my co-author, Alana Goodman, who was just great to work with. She is an excellent and tenacious reporter. We were fortunate to see eye to eye every step of the way. That made everything smooth and even, dare I say, at times enjoyable.

  My family provided support, never giving me too hard a time for missing events and holidays. Thanks especially to my wife, Lauren, who orchestrated all of it and did the heavy lifting. She’s patient, forgiving, and especially wonderful. And my girls, Joanna, Eve, and Ruby, who provide bright light in a very dark world—and make everything worthwhile.

  Thanks also to my parents, who always encourage me to keep writing; my in-laws, who are kind and generous; my brothers and their families; and Kimmy and Sam.

  Notes

  EPIGRAPH

  1. Julia Reinstein, “23 Women Stood in Court and Said Jeffrey Epstein Abused Them. Here Are Their Most Powerful Quotes,” BuzzFeed News, Aug. 27, 2019, www.buzzfeednews.com/article/juliareinstein/jeffrey-epstein-women-victims-testify-court-quotes.

  INTRODUCTION

  1. Joe Pompeo, “Decoding Jeffrey Epstein’s Mysterious, Star-Studded Black Book,” Vanity Fair, July 18, 2019, www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/07/jeffrey-epstein-black-book-nick-bryant.

  2. Tim Hains, “Julie K. Brown: ‘Quite a Few Powerful and Important’ Names Will Come Up in Jeffrey Epstein Sex Trafficking Case,” RealClearPolitics, July 7, 2019, www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2019/07/07/julie_k_brown_quite_a_few_powerful_and_important_names_will_come_up_in_jeffrey_epstein_sex_trafficking_case.html.

  3. Ellen Cranley, “Only 33% of Americans Believe That Jeffrey Epstein Actually Died by Suicide,” Business Insider, Aug. 28, 2019, www.businessinsider.com/jeffrey-epstein-suicide-death-poll-2019-8.

  CHAPTER 1: FINAL HOURS

  1. Matthew Haag, “$56 Million Upper East Side Mansion Where Epstein Allegedly Abused Girls,” New York Times, July 8, 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/07/08/nyregion/jeffrey-epstein-nyc-mansion.html.

  2. Patricia Hurtado, Chris Dolmetsch, and Christian Berthelsen, “Jeffrey Epstein Joins ‘El Chapo’ in Notorious Jail as Inmate 76318-054,” Bloomberg, July 10, 2019, www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-10/epstein-joins-el-chapo-in-notorious-jail-as-inmate-76318-054.

  3. Brooke Singman, “Jeffrey Epstein’s Alleged Sex Trafficking Victim Named Bill Richardson, George Mitchell in Newly Released Documents,” Fox News, Aug. 9, 2019, www.foxnews.com/politics/mitchell-richardson-accused.

  4. Lia Eustachewich and Tamar Lapin, “Photos Show Bill Clinton, Ghislaine Maxwell on Epstein’s ‘Lolita Express’ Jet,” New York Post, Jan. 10, 2020, nypost.com/2020/01/09/photos-show-bill-clinton-ghislaine-maxwell-on-epsteins-lolita-express-jet/.

  CHAPTER 2: A CORPSE ON 9-SOUTH

  1. Kate Sheehy, “New Photos of Jeffrey Epstein’s Body, Sheet He Used to ‘Hang Himself,’” New York Post, Jan. 5, 2020, nypost.com/2020/01/05/new-photos-of-jeffrey-epsteins-body-sheet-he-used-to-hang-himself/.

  2. docplayer.net/153402820-V-19-cr-490-rmb-new-york-n-y-august-27-30-a-m-hon-richard-m-berman-district-judge-appearances.html.

  3. How to Become a Medical Examiner (Forensic Pathologist), YouTube, Totowa Broadcast News, 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlzy0MEc61o.

  CHAPTER 3: STONEWALLING

  1. Danielle Robay, Epstein: Devil in the Darkness, 2019, www.stitcher.com/podcast/endeavor-co/epstein-devil-in-the-darkness.

  2. Michael Gold, Danielle Ivory, and Nicole Hong, “Guards Accused of Napping and Shopping Online the Night Epstein Died,” New York Times, Nov. 19, 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/11/19/nyregion/epstein-prison-guards-arrested.html.

  3. Josh Russell, “Jeffrey Epstein Guards Charged in NY,” Courthouse News Service, Nov. 19, 2019, www.courthousenews.com/jeffrey-epstein-guards-charged-in-ny/.

  4. Pervaiz Shallwani and Pilar Melendez, “Indictment Against Jail Guards Reveals News Details from Jeffrey Epstein’s Final Hours,” Daily Beast, Nov. 19, 2019, www.thedailybeast.com/jeffrey-epstein-death-jail-guards-who-were-supposed-to-watch-him-on-day-of-suicide-are-charged.

  5. Matt Zapotosky and Devlin Barrett, “Corrections Officers Did Not Check on Epstein for ‘Several’ Hours Before His Death, Violating Protocol, Person Familiar with Case Says,” Washington Post, Aug. 11, 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/it-was-inevitable-officers-watching-epstein-were-on-overtime-due-to-jail-staffing-shortage-union-president-says/2019/08/11/2b611404-bc5e-11e9-a5c6-1e74f7ec4a93_story.html.

  6. Michael Balsamo and Michael R. Sisak, “AP Sources: Jail Guards at Time of Epstein Death Reject Deal,” Associated Press, Nov. 16, 2019, apnews.com/11ae6142bbb84af49daae80b94f1b4e2.

  7. Mark Hosenball, “FBI Studies Two Broken Cameras Outside Cell Where Epstein Died: Source,” Reuters, Aug. 28, 2019, www.reuters.com/article/us-people-jeffrey-epstein-cameras/fbi-studies-two-broken-cameras-outside-cell-where-epstein-died-source-idUSKCN1VI2LC.

  8. “Security Footage Confirms No One Entered Area Epstein Was Jailed the Night He Died, Attorney General Says,” CNBC, Nov. 22, 2019, www.cnbc.com/2019/11/22/no-one-entered-area-epstein-was-jailed-the-night-he-died-attorney-general-says.html.

  9. Reis Thebault, “Video from Epstein’s First Apparent Suicide Attempt Lost Due to ‘Technical Errors,’ Prosecutors Say,” Washington Post, Jan. 9, 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/01/09/video-epsteins-first-apparent-suicide-attempt-lost-due-technical-errors-prosecutors-say/.

  CHAPTER 4: WHAT HAPPENED

  1. Adam Klasfeld, “Jail Where Epstein Died Has Record of Security Blunders,” Courthouse News Service, Aug. 13, 2019, www.courthousenews.com/jail-where-epstein-died-has-record-of-security-blunders/.

  2. Jeremy Diamond, “Trump Promotes Epstein-Clintons Conspiracy Theory, the Latest in a Pattern of Baseless Claims Spread by President,” CNN, Aug. 11, 2019, www.cnn.com/2019/08/11/politics/jeffrey-epstein-trump-conspiracy-theory-clintons/index.html.

  3. Michael Balsamo, “AG Barr: Epstein’s Death Was a ‘Perfect Storm of Screw-Ups,’” Associated Press, Nov. 22, 2019, apnews.com/4ff27f28f32d446795b65ac7dd8cc4ac.

  4. Lee Brown, “Famed Pathologist Michael Baden Says Jeffrey Epstein’s Death Was Homicide,” New York Post, Oct. 30, 2019, nypost.com/2019/10/30/famed-pathologist-michael-baden-says-jeffrey-epsteins-death-was-homicide/.

  5. Melissa Leon, “Jeffrey Epstein’s Autopsy More Consistent with Homicidal Strangulation Than Suicide, Dr. Michael Baden Reveals,” Fox News, Oct. 30, 2019, www.foxnews.com/us/forensic-pathologist-jeffrey-epstein-homicide-suicide.

  CHAPTER 5: BLACKMAIL

  1. Larry Celona and Chris Perez, “Epstein Had Bizarre Painting of Bill Clinton in Dress, Heels in Townhouse,” New York Post, Aug. 14, 2019, nypost.com/2019/08/14/epstein-had-bizarre-painting-of-bill-clinton-in-dress-heels-in-townhouse/.

  2. James B. Stewart, “The Day Jeffrey Epstein Told Me He Had Dirt on Powerful People,” New York Times, Aug. 12, 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/08/12/business/jeffrey-epstein-interview.html.

  3. “Jeffrey Epstein Accuser Maria Farmer Says Ghislaine Maxwell Threatened Her Life, FBI ‘Failed’ Her,” CBS News, Nov. 19, 201
9, www.cbsnews.com/news/jeffrey-epstein-accuser-maria-farmer-says-ghislaine-maxwell-threatened-her-life-after-assault-fbi-failed/.

  4. Andrew Denney, Larry Celona, and Bruce Golding, “Feds Found ‘Vast Trove’ of Nude Photos in Jeffrey Epstein’s Safe,” New York Post, July 8, 2019, nypost.com/2019/07/08/feds-found-vast-trove-of-nude-photos-in-jeffrey-epsteins-safe/.

  CHAPTER 6: ILL-GOTTEN GAINS

  1. “Sea Gate—Brooklyn’s Only Gated Community,” The Brooklyn Hopper, Aug. 18, 2017, www.thebrooklynhopper.com/sea-gate-brooklyns-gated-community/.

  2. James Patterson, John Connolly, and Tim Malloy, Filthy Rich (New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2017).

  3. Jerry Lambe, “The ‘Epstein-Barr’ Problem of New York City’s Dalton School,” Law & Crime, July 13, 2019, lawandcrime.com/high-profile/the-epstein-barr-problem-of-new-york-citys-dalton-school/.

  4. Cat Schuknecht, “A Young Jeffrey Epstein Made an Impression on His High School Students,” NPR, July 19, 2019, www.npr.org/2019/07/19/742725946/a-young-jeffrey-epstein-made-an-impression-on-his-high-school-students.

  5. Linda Robertson and Aaron Brezel, “‘Poor, Smart, and Desperate to Be Rich’: How Epstein Went from Teaching to Wall Street,” Miami Herald, July 16, 2019, www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article232678997.html.

  6. Robertson and Brezel, “‘Poor, Smart, and Desperate to Be Rich.’”

  7. Patterson, Connolly, and Malloy, Filthy Rich.

  8. Kate Briquelet, “When Epstein Was Cosmo’s Bachelor of the Month,” Daily Beast, July 28, 2019, www.thedailybeast.com/when-jeffrey-epstein-was-cosmopolitan-bachelor-of-the-month.

  9. Patterson, Connolly, and Malloy, Filthy Rich.

  10. Vicky Ward, “The Talented Mr. Epstein,” Vanity Fair, March 2003, www.vanityfair.com/news/2003/03/jeffrey-epstein-200303.

  11. Gregory Zuckerman and Khadeeja Safdar, “Epstein Flourished as He Forged Bond with Retail Billionaire,” Wall Street Journal, July 12, 2019, www.wsj.com/articles/epstein-flourished-as-he-forged-bond-with-retail-billionaire-11562975711.

  12. Brian Pascus and Mola Lenghi, “Jeffrey Epstein Worked at Financial Firm That Engaged in Massive Ponzi Scheme in 1980s and 1990s,” CBS News, Aug. 13, 2019, www.cbsnews.com/news/jeffrey-epstein-worked-at-towers-financial-with-stephen-hoffenberg-who-committed-ponzi-scheme-crimes/.

  13. Edward Jay Epstein, “My Tea with Jeffrey Epstein,” Air Mail, Sept. 14, 2019, airmail.news/issues/2019-9-14/my-tea-with-jeffrey-epstein.

  14. Kate Briquelet and Tracy Connor, “Ponzi Scheme Victims Say Epstein Swindled Them,” Daily Beast, July 14, 2019, www.thedailybeast.com/did-jeffrey-epstein-help-steven-hoffenberg-swindle-dollar460-million-in-ponzi-scheme.

  CHAPTER 7: THE ACCOMPLICE

  1. Darrell Hofheinz, “Palm Beach House in the Spotlight in Epstein Case,” Palm Beach Post, July 8, 2019, www.palmbeachpost.com/news/20190708/palm-beach-house-in-spotlight-in-epstein-case.

  2. Joe Shute, “The Maxwell Dynasty: What Happened to the Disgraced Mogul’s Family?,” Telegraph, Aug. 14, 2019, www.telegraph.co.uk/family/life/maxwell-dynasty-happened-disgraced-moguls-family/.

  3. Elisabeth Maxwell, A Mind of My Own: My Life with Robert Maxwell (New York: HarperCollins, 1994).

  4. “The High Society That Surrounded Jeffrey Epstein,” Intelligencer, New York, July 22, 2019, nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/07/jeffrey-epstein-high-society-contacts.html.

  5. Emma Parry, “Epstein Pal Ghislaine Maxwell Milked Millionaire Dad’s Connections & Threw Parties with Vodka on Ice & Seafood Banquets,” Sun, Nov. 23, 2019, www.thesun.co.uk/news/10395886/epstein-madam-ghislaine-maxwell-milked-billionaire-dad-and-threw-lavish-parties-with-beautiful-women/.

  6. Megan Twohey and Jacob Bernstein, “The ‘Lady of the House’ Who Was Long Entangled with Jeffrey Epstein,” New York Times, July 15, 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/07/15/us/ghislaine-maxwell-epstein.html.

  7. www.sa15.state.fl.us/stateattorney/NewsRoom/_content/PublicRecords/Epstein/STATE%20FILE%20REDACTED%20AND%20RELEASED/JEFFREY%20EPSTEIN%20PART%2016%20REDACTED.pdf.

  8. Emine Saner, “‘She Was So Dangerous’: Where in the World Is the Notorious Ghislaine Maxwell?,” Guardian, Dec. 12, 2019, www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/dec/12/she-was-so-dangerous-where-in-the-world-is-the-notorious-ghislaine-maxwell.

  9. Saner, “‘She Was So Dangerous.’”

  10. Matthew Schneier, “Ghislaine Maxwell, the Socialite on Jeffrey Epstein’s Arm,” The Cut, New York, July 15, 2019, www.thecut.com/2019/07/ghislaine-maxwell-the-socialite-on-jeffrey-epsteins-arm.html.

  11. Julie K. Brown, “How a Future Trump Cabinet Member Gave a Serial Sex Abuser the Deal of a Lifetime,” Miami Herald, Nov. 28, 2018, www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article220097825.html.

  12. Beth Reinhard et al., “‘She Was Shaking’: Court Filings Describe System Jeffrey Epstein Allegedly Used to Procure Girls,” Washington Post, Aug. 9, 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/politics/she-was-shaking-court-filings-describe-system-jeffrey-epstein-allegedly-used-to-procure-girls/2019/08/09/83093f3e-babe-11e9-bad6-609f75bfd97f_story.html.

  CHAPTER 8: THE VICTIMS

  1. Lulu Ramadan, “Jeffrey Epstein Case: The ‘Open Secret’ at Royal Palm High,” Palm Beach Post, July 26, 2019, www.palmbeachpost.com/news/20190726/jeffrey-epstein-case-open-secret-at-royal-palm-high.

  2. Conchita Sarnoff, TrafficKing: The Jeffrey Epstein Case (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2020).

  CHAPTER 9: THE PERPS

  1. Sharon Churcher, “Prince Andrew and the 17-Year-Old Girl His Sex Offender Friend Flew to Britain to Meet Him,” Daily Mail, March 2, 2011, www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1361039/Prince-Andrew-girl-17-sex-offender-friend-flew-Britain-meet-him.html.

  2. Conchita Sarnoff, TrafficKing: The Jeffrey Epstein Case (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2020).

  3. Lia Eustachewich, “‘Sex Slave’ Claims Bill Clinton Visited Epstein’s ‘Orgy Island,’” Page Six, January 24, 2015, https://pagesix.com/2015/01/24/sex-slave-claims-bill-clinton-visited-epsteins-orgy-island/.

  4. “Private Properties,” Wall Street Journal, April 18, 1997, www.wsj.com/articles/SB861139935702093000.

  5. Ben Feuerherd and Emily Saul, “Creepy Phone Messages Revealed in Jeffrey Epstein Document Dump,” New York Post, Aug. 9, 2019, nypost.com/2019/08/09/creepy-phone-messages-revealed-in-jeffrey-epstein-document-dump/.

  6. Doe v. United States, Case No. 08-80736-CIV-MARRA, S.D. Fla., Sep. 16, 2019, https://www.dropbox.com/s/65bpx6kew9n7q27/Doe%20v.%20United%20States%20of%20America%20-%20291.pdf?dl=0.

  7. Second Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, Giuffre v. Maxwell, Case #0:18-Cv-02868, PacerMonitor, Sep. 28, 2018, www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/25805805/Giuffre_v_Maxwell.

  8. Jeremy Roebuck, “Ex-U.S. Senator Accused in Jeffrey Epstein Scandal Oversaw Philly Archdiocese’s Sex-Abuse Compensation Fund,” Philadelphia Inquirer, Aug. 22, 2019, www.inquirer.com/news/jeffrey-epstein-george-mitchell-philly-archdiocese-sex-abuse-clergy-20190822.html.

  9. Dan Mangan and Kevin Breuninger, “Court Releases Documents About Jeffrey Epstein, Accused in Sex Traffic Case, and His Alleged Procurer Ghislaine Maxwell,” CNBC, Aug. 9, 2019, www.cnbc.com/2019/08/09/documents-released-about-jeffrey-epstein-and-ghislaine-maxwell.html.

  10. Kate Briquelet et al., “Jeffrey Epstein Accuser Names Powerful Men in Alleged Sex Ring,” Daily Beast, Aug. 9, 2019, www.thedailybeast.com/jeffrey-epstein-unsealed-documents-name-powerful-men-in-sex-ring.

  11. Alan Dershowitz, Guilt by Accusation: The Challenge of Proving Innocence in the Age of #MeToo (New York: Skyhorse, 2019).

  CHAPTER 10: HOW HE GOT AWAY THE FIRST TIME

  1. Rob Wile and Aaron Brezel, “Jeffrey Epstein Doled Out Millions to Harvard and Others. Is That Cash Tainted?,” Miami Herald, July 22, 2019, www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article232966202.html.

  2. archive.org/stream/6506517-Exhibits-Part-2-Recarey-Depo/6506517-Exhibits-Part-2-Recarey-Depo_djvu.txt.


  3. litvenenko.blog/2019/08/15/the-relationship-between-jeffrey-epstein-bill-and-hillary-clinton-donald-trump-and-ghislaine-maxwell/ [inactive].

  4. Kara Scannell and Brynn Gingras, “Jeffrey Epstein Allegedly Hired Private Investigators to Stalk His Victims,” CNN, July 12, 2019, www.cnn.com/2019/07/12/us/jeffery-epstein-witness-intimidation/index.html.

  5. “Perversion of Justice: The Shocking Story of a Serial Sex Abuser & Trump’s Sec. of Labor, Who Helped Him,” Democracy Now!, Jan. 4, 2019, www.democracynow.org/2019/1/4/perversion_of_justice_the_shocking_story.

  6. Pilar Melendez, Katie Baker, Tracy Connor, and Kate Briquelet, “Jeffrey Epstein Abused Victims While Serving Time in Florida, Accuser’s Lawyer Says,” Daily Beast, July 16, 2019, www.thedailybeast.com/jeffrey-epstein-abused-victims-while-serving-time-in-florida-lawyer-brad-edwards-says.

  CHAPTER 11: THE PRINCE

  1. Lee Brown, “Prince Andrew Openly Groped Girls on Jeffrey Epstein’s ‘Pedophile Island’: Prosecutor,” New York Post, Feb. 16, 2020, www.nypost.com/2020/02/16/prince-andrew-openly-groped-girls-on-jeffrey-epsteins-pedophile-island-prosecutor/.

  2. Holly Aguirre, “U.S. Virgin Islands A.G. Outraged at Epstein Estate’s Efforts to Control the Case,” Vanity Fair, Feb. 13, 2020, www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/02/us-virgin-islands-ag-outraged-at-epstein-estate-efforts-to-control-case.

  3. Charlie Gasparino, “Jeffrey Epstein Before He Died: ‘The Only Thing Worse Than Being Called a Pedophile Is Being Called a Hedge Fund Manager’: FOX BUSINESS EXCLUSIVE,” Fox Business, Aug. 13, 2019, www.foxbusiness.com/features/jeffrey-epstein-exclusive-hedge-fund.