Nick Tartaglione disputes Mark Epstein’s claims that a suicide note is forged, as the brothers clash over July 2019 events.
A bitter fight over a suicide note is reopening old wounds in the Jeffrey Epstein case, with his former cellmate Nick Tartaglione pushing back hard against claims made by Epstein’s brother, Mark Epstein, that the document Tartaglione says he found is a forgery.
Tartaglione’s dispute with Mark Epstein centers on two different moments in 2019: Jeffrey Epstein was found injured in his cell on July 23. 2019. in what authorities treated as a suspected suicide attempt. and then Epstein died on August 10. 2019. weeks later. with the death officially ruled a suicide.
Nick Tartaglione says he discovered the note after the July 23 incident.. He claims it was tucked inside a graphic novel in their shared cell and was connected to that earlier episode.. Mark Epstein. however. argues the July incident was not what it was labeled as and insists that a note Tartaglione described finding was forged.
The disagreement highlights how contested the timeline remains for people following the case.. Mark’s account suggests the July 23 jailhouse events should be understood as an attack rather than an attempted suicide. and he has hinted that Jeffrey’s death may have been murder.. Tartaglione, meanwhile, rejects any implication that he played a role in Epstein’s demise.
Mark Tartaglione—described in the report as a former New York police officer—has been serving four life sentences for orchestrating the 2016 kidnapping and murders of four men. an offense he continues to deny.. In his response. he suggested that Mark is trying to implicate him in Jeffrey Epstein’s death and said those claims do not sit well with him.
Tartaglione has made clear that he did not forge the note and said the letter has been released publicly.. In remarks shared from prison. he told Jessica Reed Kraus of the House Inhabit Substack writer that if Mark doubts the authenticity. Mark should hire handwriting experts to authenticate it independently.. Tartaglione also argued that he has nothing to gain either way, adding that he was simply telling the truth.
The note has become a focal point largely because of how it ties to jailhouse incidents in the same cell.. Tartaglione has said the note appeared to be ripped from a yellow legal pad.. Mark. by contrast. pointed to the possibility that conflict between cellmates around the July incident could have provided motivation for harm.
Tartaglione disputes that framing and portrays the relationship differently.. He claimed Jeffrey Epstein wanted to be returned to the cell with him after earlier conditions. stating Epstein offered him money to not return to general population and to stay in the “box.” He emphasized that they were not friendly in a “buddy” sense. but he said he had no intention to bully. extort. or harm Epstein.. He also said his goal was to go home and insisted he gained nothing by harming anyone.
In the fight over what happened. Tartaglione also argued about physical capability. saying Jeffrey Epstein had marks around his neck tied to the July incident.. He said he was roughly 240 to 250 pounds and had a bench press over 500 pounds. and he argued that if he wanted to hurt Epstein. he could have.. Tartaglione maintains he did not hurt Jeffrey Epstein.
Another thread in the dispute involves claims about how Tartaglione says he responded during the July 23 incident.. According to the report, Epstein appeared to be sleeping and was snoring loudly when Tartaglione went to sleep with headphones.. Later. Tartaglione said he felt something hit his leg. then saw Epstein hanging with his eyes partly open after his eyes adjusted to the dark.
Tartaglione claimed he used a small razor blade inmates were allowed for grooming to cut Epstein down. then began chest compressions while calling for guards.. He also stated that Epstein regained breathing before officers arrived.. These details are part of what Mark says he cannot accept. especially given how quickly Epstein was allegedly taken off suicide watch.
Mark Epstein remains unconvinced of Tartaglione’s account.. In an interview with the National Enquirer. Mark said the July incident was an attack by the cellmate. that it was reported as such. and that Epstein had told his lawyer.. Mark then said that story was recanted because Epstein was fearful of retaliation. adding that he does not believe the July events aligned with the suicide attempt label.
Mark also argued that Epstein would not have been removed from suicide watch so quickly if authorities believed it was a suicide attempt.. In his view, if the incident was not a suicide attempt, there would be no reason for a suicide note.. He further said he knew Jeffrey Epstein well and suggested that if Epstein intended to write a suicide note. he would have addressed someone directly rather than leaving what Mark described as a broad “goodbye” message.
The dispute also extends beyond the note itself to physical marks.. Mark claimed there were “other bruises” on his brother’s body after Jeffrey Epstein’s death. marks he believes were not handled properly by the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.. He argued that those marks “conclusively” prove it could not have been a suicide.
For readers trying to follow the story. the conflict is less about a single document and more about competing versions of a sequence inside the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York.. The July 23 incident. described by authorities as a suspected suicide attempt. becomes the hinge point for everything that followed—who was present. what was seen. and whether the note found afterward can be trusted.
As the claims trade back and forth. the episode also underscores how disputes in high-profile cases can persist long after official rulings.. Tartaglione’s insistence on handwriting authentication and his description of a rescue attempt are paired against Mark Epstein’s broader skepticism about the July incident and the circumstances surrounding the August 10 death.
Whether the note’s origin will be settled through handwriting experts or through further contested testimony, the core tension remains: Tartaglione says he found the note tied to the July episode in the shared cell, while Mark maintains the underlying events point to something else entirely.
Jeffrey Epstein Nick Tartaglione Mark Epstein suicide note jail cell dispute Metropolitan Correctional Center House Inhabit