Epstein Did It

What Prison Taught Me About the Possibility of Suicide Behind Bars

Last Sunday, 18 May, Maria Bartiromo aired her interview of FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino. This interview was far-ranging and touched on a number of concerns we Americans have regarding the operation to clean up government corruption. We have been told that these operations are ongoing. This was underscored by the pair during the interview.

Just wait, they say, accountability is coming.

But amid those promises things were happening behind the scenes, were several disconcerting revelations.

For example, there appeared to some hedging by Deputy Dan Bongino that the J6 documents will probably show more about confidential human sources than agents on the ground. As the above-linked article above also points out, Patel and Bongino aren't making this information known to we the people, but instead they're funneling their findings to the various siloed committees in congress. Committees that both men know have always been active participants in covering up government crime and corruption.

But one part of the interview that caused the most consternation is their response to the question: Did Jeffrey Epstein kill himself? Both men were outspoken skeptics of the government narrative that Epstein's death was a suicide. Surprisingly, both men are now admitting that, yes, Epstein did indeed kill himself.

The shockwaves from that statement have prompted many to declare the two compromised by the Deep State machine. Commentators are going so far as to examine their facial expressions in freeze frame or pick apart their body language for proof that Patel and Bongino are both essentially captives of the government organ they were supposed to run and reform.

As a J6er, I've been on the butt end of the internet's brilliant analysis concerning my own motives and, when the narrative was at its height, it was people like Bongino and Patel who defended J6ers like myself.

I decided to take a step back and reexamine the central question regarding Epstein's death. The ironclad belief that Epstein could only have been murdered is surprisingly widespread with many on both sides of the political aisle taking that position (although in media it is naturally dismissed as a "right wing" conspiracy.)

I'm one of those people. I frequently posted "Epstein didn't kill himself." To me, it never even was a question. The evidence of murder was too strong and the arguments promoting the suicide cause were more concerned at ginning up outrage against the Right than proving a point.

The official reports were never convincing for me.

In their interview, both Patel and Bongino referred to that same official documentation, as having convinced them that Epstein died of suicide. But precious little of that documentation has been released to the public. Which is also suspicious.

But excusable. You don't want that kind of information to be widely known because it 1) helps the suicidal inmates devise methods of suicide and 2) helps the homicidal prison population plan murders that could look like suicides.

Institutionalized Dysfunction

Not that prison administrators care, mind you. Understand that prisons are the most corrupt and dysfunctional workplaces. With every death behind bars, comes various investigations by the government and third party advocates. If there's anything I've learned about prison administrators during my time behind bars is that they're spiteful of accountability.

Prisons administrators are the kind of people who don't care if the population gets fed or has to go days or weeks at a time without access to showers or other forms of basic hygiene.

Keep in mind also that correctional officers are the type of people who report to prison willingly and daily. A common joke among them is that, like the inmates, they too "do time." It's not untrue. Though prison employees have the luxury of going home at the end of every shift, I think most people would admit working in a prison is no one's idea of a life-affirming work environment.

In prison, inmate and officer alike are susceptible to a phenomenon where they become "institutionalized." This refers to an internalizing of the various dysfunctions inherent to the incarceration environment such that one becomes psychologically incapable of comporting themselves like a non-inmate.

Pay also isn't great for correctional officers. A common way of supplementing that income is through the prison population itself. Guards are the chief vector for contraband in prisons, especially drugs. Guards can also be paid by prisoners for other favors.

Before going to prison, I understood that prison was a bad place. What I didn't understand was how big a role guards play in that equation.

The 2023 Inspector General report lays heavy blame on the personnel at the New York Metropolitan Correctional Center for Epstein's death.

"Contrary to MCC and BOP policies and procedures, Epstein was allowed to sleep on the floor, had extra blankets and clothes. Photos of Epstein's cell included in the report shows piles of what appears to be orange clothes strewn about the floor and bed.

Epstein was also allowed to use a jail phone the night before he died that was unmonitored, in violation of BOP policy, and was not re-assigned a new cellmate despite previously attempting suicide.

Epstein was also supposed to be under watch for that prior attempt. But two correctional officers, Michael Thomas and Tova Noel, who were assigned to guard Epstein overnight failed to complete more than 75 mandatory checks on him. He was left in his cell overnight, and only discovered dead at 6:30 a.m. on Aug. 10."

To the uninitiated observer, this sounds like a series of a fail safes designed to prevent suicides spontaneously broke down on this one given night.

That's what I thought too. Before I went to prison.

Now? This sounds like your average prison on any night. Guards off doing their own thing while prisoners slept in their cells? Those guards may have been sleeping, smoking pot or doing other drugs, having sex, or simply absorbed in their smart phones playing Candy Crush.

Or they could have been paid under the table to look the other way. But that doesn't necessarily mean Epstein's death was murder. Note that Epstein had an unmonitored call before he died. Was that a monetary arrangement by Epstein to the guards for some privacy to off himself?

Whether suicide or murder, the misconduct by the guards should have been pursued more vigorously. The fact that the DoJ declined to prosecute despite the guards' dereliction of duty and gundecking logs sounds to me like standard institutional CYA procedure. Yes, it is highly suspicious.

But it also par for the course. In other words, it's how I would expect a prison to react to any inmate death, regardless of the cause.

Failed Cameras

The same can be said about the security camera failures. In prison, the feeds from those cameras aren't watched by a team of hyper-vigilant operators in a kind of NORAD-like watchfloor. In prison, murders happen all the time on camera. Help frequently comes only when violence has died down and the only thing left is to mop up the blood.

Cameras, if they work at all, are useful for determining who was at fault after the fact. That's if the prison cares.

That the cameras (reportedly) weren't working is not surprising either. Who's to say if a camera in the suicide watch ward is there for actual security or merely a prop to convince the inmate they're being surveilled?

It's also conceivable that MCC was lying about the malfunctions and, in a pique of institutional CYA, decided to delete as much evidence as possible.

Again, this could point to a cover up of a murder. Or it could be just the institution trying to cover up the suicide. Either way, the administrators would have motive, means, and what's more: expertise. You don't run a prison long unless you know exactly how to elude oversight.

It's notable that in the aftermath of the Epstein death investigation the government shut down New York MCC in 2021. This is exactly the kind of outcome the warden would've been so desperate to avoid.

Suicide "Watch"

Another point critics of the suicide cause like to make to is that Epstein was under suicide watch when he committed suicide.

Unfortunately, that's not true. Epstein was in the SHU, or special housing unit. This part of the prison is reserved for more than just those who are suicidal. SHUs are where troublemakers are sent. Those who get "smashed" -- which means anyone who loses a fight. Those who have threatened correctional officers. Those who have given administrators reason to believe that they're a threat to themselves or anyone else. All these special cases requiring above-average watchfulness can be sent to the SHU.

This is also one point in favor of the murder argument. While the cameras watching Epstein's cell were inoperative, those watching tier entryways were not. Video evidence from these show no one came into or exited the tier during the time of Epstein's murder. This means that only someone on that tier, be they guard or other inmate, could have done the deed. The sad reality here is that all we have is the word of the officers and inmates themselves on this.

The SHU is not some special rubber room where a team of professional and caring mental health experts hold constant vigil. The extra care here refers to keeping that person locked inside a room permanently. That means no yard, no chow hall, no walks and in many cases no showers.

The reason for this is manpower. By lodging all your trouble makers in one spot, you can keep closer watch without overly taxing your personnel. It has nothing to do with saving lives and more to do with managing manning requirements.

According to one report, the manning of the SHUs varies. During day shifts, the ratio is one officer per roughly 17 inmates. In the evening, that becomes a ratio of one to roughly 24. It's during overnight when that ratio is at its worst with one guard responsible for watching between 50-60 inmates.

So even a suicidal inmate would know that the opportune time to commit the deed is during the late night watch. Which is when Epstein is alleged to have killed himself.

And, sure, Epstein was in the SHU for suicide. But the vigilance of a suicide watch cannot be maintained indefinitely -- the resource strain doesn't allow for that. The idea is to put the inmate under surveillance and recommend he be moved off suicide watch as soon as possible. The fact that Epstein had clothes in his cell and was allowed to sleep alone reveals he was no longer under the more strictly watchful suicide prevention regime. This also could explain the removal of his cell mate -- a point cited by those arguing that it was murder.

The fact is, Epstein was under a regime that provided less vigilance while affording him an additional modicum of freedom. Whether that was because he was improperly assessed or because he was lying in order to get his hands on the sheets and articles of clothing he needed to fashion a noose is unclear.

The Noose

According to official reports he was found hung from his bed by a bedsheet. Whatever the reason for his change in suicide status, it's clear being moved off strict suicide watch gave him access to the materials needed to carry out a suicide.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, Epstein's brother Mark says it was impossible for Epstein to have hung himself. Mark Epstein tested the ability of the same kind of bed sheet and found that it wouldn't take his brother's weight.

"However Mark claims that through his own testing - using weights similar to his brother's body weight - he has found that the bed sheet could not have supported Epstein's corpse.

'I don't think that sheet could have held his weight, it would have torn,' he claimed."

There are a number of reasons why Mark Epstein's testing can be challenged. One is that rapid weight loss is a fact of prison life. I experienced a rapid drop of thirty pounds over the course of a single month and I wasn't even trying to lose weight. In fact, I was trying to gain weight.

The other is that one of the first skills you learn in prison is how to make line. Inmates become adept at using anything from bed sheets to clothes to plastic bread bags stolen from the kitchen. There are lots of ways you can strengthen a length of cloth to hold someone of Epstein's weight. In fact, properly twisted, I think a bed sheet could easily hold his weight.

Then there's the pictures in the article, sourced from 60 Minutes, showing Epstein's cell. One of them purports to show a noose made of prison clothing which is much more durable than bed sheet. It appears to have been taken from a shirt hem which would have been even stronger.

Image from 60 Minutes of Epstein’s cell purportedly showing a “noose” made of prison clothing instead of bedsheet

If Jeffrey Epstein killed himself with a shirt and the report said bedsheet we shouldn't be surprised by the discrepancy. The position of correctional officer generally does not attract people with the chops to be a detective or even a beat cop. Lucidity under duress, attention to detail, and verbal eloquence are not tested in the application process.

Hell, the correctional officers in DC didn't even speak English as a first language.

Neck Bones

Another point brought up to dispute the argument for suicide is that several of Epstein's neck bones, including his hyoid bone, were broken. According to pathologists, Dr. Michael Baden among them, a broken hyoid bone tends to point to strangulation more than hanging.

"Baden’s observations, first aired in an interview on “Fox & Friends” Wednesday, include that Epstein suffered multiple fractures in his neck — injuries he said are more consistent with strangulation than suicide by hanging. Epstein, who was found dead Aug. 10, had three fractures on the left and right sides of his larynx, Baden said. He told the Herald that it is rare for any bones to be broken in a hanging, let alone for multiple bones to be fractured. 'Those fractures are extremely unusual in suicidal hangings and could occur much more commonly in homicidal strangulation,' said Baden, who added that there were hemorrhages in Epstein’s eyes that are also more common in strangulation than in hangings."

Note however that these details are merely "more common" and do not conclusively prove that Epstein was strangled. These facts only point to the likelihood he was murdered. Epstein was older, in poor health, and in prison where health declines rapidly. I can see a 60-something man's health declining to the point where his bones became more brittle while at the same time losing a lot of weight.

But there's something else I want to consider when looking at the suicide explanation.

I think a point that hasn't been brought up to my knowledge is the fact that Jeffrey Epstein was a lifelong perverted psychopath. I think someone who lives that kind of life of extreme carnal pleasure becomes perverted to the point that they have to go to extremes to get off. These extremes can include drugs but also pain.

I'm talking about autoerotic asphyxiation, also known as AEA. This is a practice of limiting blood flow to the brain during sex to heighten the sense of climax.

Though accidental deaths due to AEA are rare, they do happen. Mostly to men and the most common method is in fact ligation or hanging. The death of actor David Carradine is a textbook example.

Incidentally, none other than Dr. Michael Baden argued that Carradine's death also was inconclusive.

So the same person who questioned Epstein's suicide is seen in this article not able to determine whether or not the apparent AEA-related death was an accident or muder:

"His [Dr. Baden's] immediate conclusion was that the 'Kill Bill' actor didn't die of suicide.

Thai police initially said they suspected Carradine's death was a suicide, but later conceded it could have been accidental. Their description — that the actor's body was found nude, with ropes around his neck, wrist and genitals — fueled speculation that he was killed while engaging in a dangerous sex practice called autoerotic asphyxiation.

Baden said autoerotic asphyxiation remains a possible cause of death.

Some of Carradine's friends have said they suspect foul play in his death. His brothers, Keith and Robert, have urged patience until all information is available and promised to release the results of Baden's inquiry.

Baden said he is waiting to talk to a pathologist in Thailand about some of the missing details he needs." (Emphasis mine)

The fact is AEA-related deaths are difficult to determine. Like strangulation murders, they tend to cause hemmoraging around the neck and eyes. Unlike strangulation murders, the neck bones usually stay intact.

Image of eye damage due to AEA from “Erotic asphyxiation: May have you seeing double” published by American Journal of Ophthalmology Case Reports

How He Did It (My Theory)

But I'm not saying that Epstein died of accidental AEA. I'm saying he deliberately killed himself like a man experienced in AEA would have done it. We're not talking a simple knot and a leap off the top bunk. His situation would've required something more complicated and creative. A process that was slower -- one where pressure on his neck was gradually increased in a manner that might even have felt pleasurable.

Epstein was found hanging from the top bunk, his butt inches off the ground and his feet straight in front of him. He could have let his body weight pull the noose tight. And then repeatedly hop with his feet outstretched to tighten the noose in jolts. Jolts that would've increased his sense of euphoria which may even have mitigated the effect of the pain.

Until he gives that final hop and -- crack! There goes the neck bone fractures and hyroid break.

I don't think this sounds impossible. If someone is determined to kill himself and he's a tall man in a jail cell with only some cloth (bedsheet or clothes) to do the job, I think he'd find a way to work it out. When people seek creative solutions to problems, they dig into their memory for whatever they can find. Jeffrey Epstein likely had working knowledge of AEA. Death through AEA tends to look a lot like strangulatoin, as Dr. Baden also reveals in his evaluation of David Carradine's death.

The whole reason Epstein was in the SHU in the first place is because he demonstrated an intent to commit suicide. So we know he had both the will and the means.

The idea that he was locked away in some protective cocoon completely safe from all possible causes of self harm completely ignores the reality of life in prison. Fully 8% of prison suicides happen while the inmate is on suicide watch.

Readers interested in understanding how suicide watch can be a ruthless proceedure having nothing to do with the inmate's mental health might want to read this article that details the many ways in which suicide watches in prison brutalize inmates. Of note is this paragraph that says the rate of suicide is usually higher once the individual is relieved of close observation as was the case for Epstein:

"Repeated suicide attempts, especially when followed by claims of improvement, can cause people to cycle on and off suicide watch units. Kupers noted that in the hundreds of investigations he has conducted following prison suicides, the individual frequently cycled between suicide watch and solitary confinement, and ultimately died by suicide in a solitary confinement cell." (Emphasis mine)

The idea that it's impossible for someone to strangle themselves to death unless they can hang themselves properly from a ceiling beam also ignores the statistic implicit in the above statement: that suicides still happen in prison all the time -- even in cells that have been modified to make self-harm more difficult.

It's simply not true that Epstein could only have been murdered. Suicide was a definite possibility. It's certainly annoying that the prison failed to keep their cameras in operating order and patrol the tier as required. It's disturbing that the crime scene was contaminated after the fact. It's disappointing that the guards who were charged with crimes were eventually let go without a trial where more details could've come out.

But it's not surprising, given what I know about prisons, their personnel and procedures. Furthermore, the statistical norms are consistent with the time, place, and method of Epstein's death.

While a second glance shows that it's much more likely than I once presumed that Epstein could have committed suicide, the sad fact is neither cause can now be proven to the exclusion of the other. On top of that, there are many possibilities in between.

For example, if it was suicide, was it facilitated by incompetence, or was someone paid off? In either case, then those responsible are at least guilty of manslaughter. And the decision not to continue with prosecutions is still highly suspect.

Any hint of facilitation or collaboration is still a huge scandal that presents the possibility of a conspiracy or larger effort to kill the prosecution.

Conclusion

I don't like this discovery. I prefer unmitigated hatred of the Deep State. I also love being right. But ultimately truth has my highest loyalty. That means being honest about the possibility of suicide.

Those who stubbornly cling to the murder argument are now themselves engaged in hyperbolic ad hominem attacks against Director Patel and Deputy Director Bongino. They claim the two appear defeated and scared in the Bartiromo interview or that they're now hostages of the Deep State. But the whole I reason I decided to re-examine the Epstein death is because: that's not what I recognized in their facial expressions.

My gut reaction is that they both looked mortified. As if they had been shown that something they loudly and publicly preached as true was actually completely wrong. It wasn't defeat or fear on their faces, it was egg.

So in the interest of not jumping to conclusions, I'm going to hold off on my judgement with regards to this particular question until we get some more information. Both men have been known to give J6ers a benefit of a doubt when most of the country wanted our heads on pikes. So I feel obligated to return the gesture in this matter.

Matt da Silva once worked at the highest levels of government trust as a Japanese and Mandarin Navy linguist. In addition to working at the tip of the intel spear, he also has the distinction of having served 18 months in federal prison for his involvement in Jan 6. Now he's pardoned and using his intel analysis and writing skills in defense of the 21st century civil rights movement known as the MAGA movement. You can find more of his writings at his substack (which is free). You may also want to give him a follow on X and TruthSocial or watch his videos on his Rumble channel, J6 Matt Cast. Please subscribe!

Wanna put a tip in the jar? https://buymeacoffee.com/j6matt_cast

Substack: https://matthewdasilva.substack.com/

Truth Social: https://truthsocial.com/@Matthew_da_Silva

X: https://x.com/EMassSurvivor