NEW YORK — Surveillance footage of the outside of Jeffrey Epstein’s cell at the troubled Metropolitan Correctional Center during his suicide attempt has gone missing, prosecutors revealed Wednesday.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Swergold, during a hearing in White Plains District Court, admitted nobody can find the footage of the outside of the cell the multimillionaire shared with accused quadruple murderer Nick Tartaglione. Tartaglione, a former Briarcliff Manor cop, faces the death penalty for the alleged murders in a drug deal gone bad.
A spokesman for the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office and Bruce Barket, an attorney for Tartaglione, confirmed the stunning revelation that the footage was not preserved.
Tartaglione’s attorneys filed a request for the footage to be retained two days after Epstein’s attempted suicide on July 23, Barket said.
“It is on the surface troubling,” Barket said. “I’ll reserve judgment until I’ve found out more details.”
Judge Kenneth Karas asked the government to look further into what happened to the footage.
The Daily News previously reported that Tartaglione claimed to have saved Epstein’s life after the pedophile tried to hang himself. Epstein reportedly claimed that Tartaglione attacked him.
“Nick acted appropriately and admirably,” Barket said.
The video footage was relevant to Tartaglione’s defense because it is potentially evidence of the ex-cop’s good character. In the event Tartaglione is found guilty and reaches the death penalty phase, the Epstein incident could possibly be evidence showing why he doesn’t deserve to die.
Epstein hanged himself in a different cell two weeks later while awaiting trial for sex trafficking of underage girls. His body was discovered on Aug. 10. Two correctional officers have been charged with neglecting their duties and falsifying records the night of Epstein’s death.
Barket said that Tartaglione has still not been questioned about Epstein’s suicide. Multiple probes are underway about how Epstein managed to kill himself in the federal lockup.
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