TRUE CRIME NEWSJeffrey Epstein's Guards Loitered Around Jail Cell Instead of Checking on Him Night He Died, New Footage Shows
Jeffrey Epstein's guards loitered around his jail cell the night he committed suicide instead of doing their nightly checks.
March 21 2026, Published 12:26 p.m. ET
New video footage surfaced showing Jeffrey Epstein's guards appearing to dilly-dally on the night he died instead of doing their mandatory evening cell checks.
The s-- trafficker committed suicide via hanging on August 10, 2019 in his jail cell at New York City's Metropolitan Correctional Center.
Officers Tova Noel and Michael Thomas Were Meant to Check on Jeffrey Epstein Every 30 Minutes
The financier's body was found in his cell on August 10, 2019.
Correctional officers Tova Noel and Michael Thomas were seen in the surveillance video casually walking around the area at approximately 3:15 a.m. in the Special Housing Unit of the prison.
The two were spotted chatting on the phone and writing on pieces of paper as Epstein was a few feet away in his detention cell.
Jeffrey Epstein Was Found Dead in His Jail Cell on August 10, 2019
Jeffrey Epstein was taken off suicide watch before his death.
The financier reportedly killed himself sometime between 10:30 p.m. on August 9 and 6:30 a.m. the next day. Noel and Thomas found Epstein's deceased body when they were serving breakfast to inmates.
The guards allegedly ignored orange warning signs on their computers reminding them Epstein was fresh off suicide watch and needed constant monitoring every half hour.
"Mandatory rounds must be conducted every 30 minutes on Epstein, as per God!!!” the notices read.
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A sign was posted on the guards' computer to make sure Jeffrey Epstein was checked on every half hour.
Special Housing Unit head Lt. Roberto Grijalva told DOJ officials: “I put it next to the computer. It was just something between us, that said, make sure rounds are conducted and he has a bunkie at all times. It’s bright orange paper and black lettering.”
“Whoever was there, they watched — saw that paper. Monday, I came in and that paper wasn’t there anymore,” he continued. While Noel and Thomas were both accused of faking logs to show they looked in on Epstein during the night, investigators later discovered they skipped out on their 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. rounds.
Tova Noel Denied Searching Jeffrey Epstein Before His Suicide
The s-- trafficker was placed in the Special Housing Unit of New York City's Metropolitan Correctional Center.
The officers were fired and criminal charges against them were dropped in 2021 by US District Court Judge Analisa Torres. Noel was recently called to testify in front of the House Oversight Committee as she reportedly Google-searched Epstein.
According to DOJ docs, she searched “latest on Epstein in jail” at 5:42 a.m. and then again at 5:52 a.m. — less than 40 minutes before Epstein died. Noel also shopped for furniture online and took naps instead of doing her jail checks.
In 2021 during her deposition, Noel denied looking up Epstein. “I don’t remember doing that,” she alleged, adding that government records were not “accurate. I don’t recall looking him up.”
“I’ve never worked in the Special Housing Unit and actually done rounds every 30 minutes,” Noel said.
