Jeffrey Epstein hanged himself in his jail cell with an orange noose he fashioned from "a sheet or a shirt," according to a new report issued Tuesday.
The Justice Department's Inspector General report details the failures that occurred beginning one month before the disgraced financier's death in Bureau of Prisons custody.
When officers discovered Epstein in his cell on Aug. 10, 2019, Officer Michael Thomas, who was charged criminally in the case, said, "Breathe, Epstein, Breathe," according to the report.
When Thomas saw Epstein dangling from the bed, he said, "We're going to be in a lot of trouble," according to the report.
When Epstein's room was searched after his death, investigators found extra bedsheets, another mattress and a noose, according to the report.
Epstein died by hanging at Manhattan's Metropolitan Correctional Center while he was awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
Ghislaine Maxwell, a longtime associate of Epstein, was convicted in December 2021 of conspiring with Epstein to recruit, groom and abuse minors and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.