FBI to investigate after US sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein commits suicide at Manhattan jail
- He hanged himself, and his body was found in his cell
- Prosecutors said the financier used his wealth and power to sexually abuse young girls for years at his homes
Epstein was found unresponsive in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Centre in Manhattan from “an apparent suicide”, the US Department of Justice said.
He was discovered around 6:30 am (local time) and rushed to hospital in New York, where he was pronounced dead, it added in a statement. “The FBI is investigating the incident,” the department said.
The New York Times and other media quoted officials as saying Epstein had hanged himself. The city medical examiner’s office confirmed Epstein’s death but said nothing about what caused it. It said a medical investigation has been opened.
Epstein, 66, had already been found in a cell in late July with marks on his neck after an apparent suicide attempt.
Epstein, a self-described “collector” of rich and powerful people, had links to a who’s who of prominent political and business figures. That circle, including former US president Bill Clinton and billionaire Leslie Wexner, all distanced themselves from the financier after his arrest in July.
US prosecutors said Epstein used his wealth and power to sexually abuse dozens of young girls for years at his homes, paying them hundreds of dollars in cash for each encounter and hundreds more if they brought in more victims.
