Full Breakdown
Unsealed Handwritten Note Linked to Jeffrey Epstein Raises Handwriting Questions
5/9/2026, 11:14:39 PM
Note Release and Core Details
Date of release: May 8 2026. Judge Kenneth Karas ordered unsealing after a New York Times petition. The note was found by Nicholas Tartaglione in a book after Epstein’s July 23 2019 suicide-attempt incident. It reads, “They investigated me for month — found nothing!!!” and “It is a treat to be able to choose one’s time to say goodbye.”
Background of Epstein’s Incarceration
Epstein was held at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan while awaiting a sex-trafficking trial. He shared a cell with Tartaglione for about two weeks in July 2019. After the July 23 incident, he was placed on suicide watch and died by suicide on Aug 10 2019. A separate grievance note discovered after his death has been in Justice Department files since 2020.
Handwriting Examination
Three analysts—Thomas Vastrick (American Society of Questioned Document Examiners), Bart Baggett (Handwriting Experts Inc.) and Grace Warmbier (former NYPD examiner)—identified identical spacing, letter shapes, capital-letter usage, an underlined “NO FUN,” double exclamation points, larger opening words and a consistent left-margin slant. They concluded the two notes “appear to have common authorship.” No verified Epstein handwriting sample is publicly available.
Official Statements & Responses
Judge Karas said Epstein’s privacy interests were “vastly reduced” and approved release. Deputy U.S. Attorney Sean Buckley noted strong public interest. The Justice Department said the note had not yet been authenticated and that this was the first time the department had seen it. The department did not object to the unsealing.
Skepticism and Gaps
Warmbier ruled out Tartaglione as the writer; Vastrick said he “would not eliminate him as a potential writer” but offered no endorsement. The lack of confirmed Epstein handwriting and the note’s prior omission from Justice Department files leave its provenance uncertain.
On-the-Ground Account
Tartaglione, serving life for quadruple homicide, told a 2025 podcast he performed CPR on Epstein after the July 23 incident, then discovered the note in a book and gave it to his lawyers to protect himself.
Discrepancies
Tartaglione’s lawyer Bruce Banket called the note “relevant evidence” but did not authenticate it. A 2020 timeline claiming authentication was later described by Banket as “overstated.” The Justice Department’s claim of first-time exposure conflicts with earlier media reports of the note’s existence.
Implications
The note adds a new data point to congressional and public scrutiny of Epstein’s death. The House Oversight Committee is interviewing officials, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and former Attorney General Pam Bondi. The court set a one-week deadline for redaction proposals; additional sealed documents may follow.
Verbatim Quotes
- “They investigated me for month — found nothing!!!” — Unidentified author, handwritten note
- “It is a treat to be able to choose one's time to say goodbye. Watcha want me to do — Bust out cryin!! NO FUN — NOT WORTH IT!!” — Unidentified author, handwritten note
- “These are the kinds of things that would suggest that we're dealing with the same writer,” — Thomas Vastrick, President, American Society of Questioned Document Examiners
- “Both of those documents have the same author,” — Bart Baggett, Founder, Handwriting Experts Inc.
What’s Next
Judge Karas gave parties one week to suggest redactions. The New York Times seeks three additional court filings. The House Oversight Committee plans further hearings on the Epstein case.
