Newly released documents from the Jeffrey Epstein files are raising fresh doubts about the official claim that the disgraced financier “killed himself” in a Manhattan federal jail cell in 2019.
The documents show that FBI investigations uncovered evidence of suspicious activities by one of Epstein’s prison guards.
However, this information has remained buried until it was exposed in the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) recent release of Epstein-related files.
Among the most troubling revelations is the records that show one of Epstein’s prison guards allegedly searched the internet for updates about the child predator just minutes before his body was discovered.
That same guard also made a mysterious $5,000 cash deposit shortly beforehand.
The revelations come from newly surfaced DOJ records and FBI investigative materials.
Guard Googled Epstein Minutes Before Body Was Found
The guard at the center of the new disclosures is Tova Noel, a correctional officer at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in Manhattan.
Noel was one of two prison workers accused of falsifying official records to claim they had been checking on Epstein throughout the night before his death on August 10, 2019.
In reality, investigators say the required checks were never performed.
Although both guards were charged with falsifying records, the criminal case was later dropped, and they were fired.
According to FBI forensic records, Noel conducted two Google searches shortly before Epstein’s body was discovered:
- 5:42 a.m.: “latest on Epstein in jail”
- 5:52 a.m.: “latest on Epstein in jail”
Less than 40 minutes later, at 6:30 a.m., fellow correctional officer Michael Thomas found Epstein dead in his cell.
Guard Denied Searching Epstein
When questioned under oath by the DOJ in 2021, Noel denied conducting the searches.
“I don’t remember doing that,” she said, according to a transcript.
She also challenged the FBI’s records.
“FBI records were not accurate,” Noel said.
“I don’t recall looking him up.”
The FBI’s 66-page forensic report examining the prison computers highlighted the search activity as a key detail.
Cash Deposits Flagged by Bank
The newly released files also reveal that Chase Bank flagged suspicious cash deposits into Noel’s account shortly after Epstein’s death.
The bank filed a Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) with the FBI in November 2019.
According to the records:
- Noel made 12 cash deposits beginning in April 2018
- The largest was a $5,000 deposit on July 30, 2019
- The deposit occurred 10 days before Epstein died
The DOJ documents show seven deposits totaling $11,880 within the timeframe investigators reviewed.
Notably, Noel had only begun working in the Special Housing Unit (SHU), where Epstein was being held, on July 7, 2019, just weeks before his death.
Despite the suspicious financial activity, Noel was never questioned about the deposits during her DOJ interview, according to the records.
New Clue About Mysterious ‘Orange Figure’ Near Epstein’s Cell
Another newly released FBI briefing suggests Noel may have been the unidentified figure seen in surveillance footage near Epstein’s cell the night he died.
As Slay News reported, the video showed a blurry orange shape moving near the prison tier around 10:40 p.m.
Investigators wrote:
“At approximately 10:40 pm, a correctional officer, believed to be Tova Noel, carried linen or inmate clothing up to the L-Tier, last time any correctional officer approached the only entrance to the SHU tier.”
Epstein was later found hanging from strips of orange cloth.
The identity of the figure in the footage has long been a source of speculation.
Earlier government reports referred only to “unidentified correctional officers.”
The newly released FBI material is the first time Noel’s name has been connected to the figure in official records.
Guard Claims No One Followed Protocol
During her sworn testimony, Noel also made another startling claim, alleging that standard security procedures were routinely ignored at the jail.
“I’ve never worked in the Special Housing Unit and actually done rounds every 30 minutes,” she told investigators.
According to prosecutors, during the shift leading up to Epstein’s death:
- Noel shopped for furniture online
- Her colleague browsed motorcycle listings
Meanwhile, the required 30-minute checks on Epstein were skipped.
Noel said she last saw Epstein alive “somewhere around after 10” p.m.
She also denied providing any linens or clothing to prisoners.
“I never gave out linen — ever,” she said.
More Questions Than Answers
A correctional officer entering Epstein’s cell area alone would violate prison policy, according to staff at the facility.
Yet the surveillance footage suggests someone approached the tier that night.
When investigators asked Noel directly whether she had anything to do with Epstein’s death, she answered: “No.”
But the newly released documents, detailing the mysterious internet searches, suspicious cash deposits, and unexplained surveillance footage, are fueling renewed skepticism about the official narrative surrounding Epstein’s death.
Years later, the case continues to generate questions that many believe were never fully answered.
READ MORE – Feds Ordered New Mexico Officials to Shut Down Investigation Into Epstein’s Zorro Ranch
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