DOJ records showing 'orange figure' on stairs near Epstein’s cell on day of death raise questions

WASHINGTON, DC: The Department of Justice (DOJ) has released fresh documents that shed new light on the night Jeffrey Epstein died. Surveillance footage from August 9, 2019, appears to show an "orange-colored figure" moving up the stairs toward the locked, isolated area where Epstein’s cell was located.

An entry in the Metropolitan Correctional Center’s observation log shows activity that may not have been fully reported. “A flash of orange looks to be going up the L Tier stairs — could possibly be an inmate escorted up to that Tier," the log notes.

The revelation adds another layer of mystery to a case already under intense scrutiny over security at the facility.

Surveillance footage appears to contradict official claims about Epstein’s cell block

The FBI described the blurry figure as “possibly an inmate," while the Department of Justice Inspector General later identified the person as an unidentified corrections officer, possibly carrying orange bedding or linen, CBS News reported.

The Inspector General’s final report pinpointed the appearance at 10.39 pm, with the individual returning to camera view two minutes later. "At approximately 10:39 pm, an unidentified corrections officer appeared to walk up the L Tier stairway, and then reappeared within view of the camera at 10:41 pm," the report states.

The video raises questions because official accounts have consistently insisted that no one entered Epstein’s housing tier that night. 

Medical examiner cites hanging, yet speculation around death stays

Epstein was found dead in his cell on August 10, 2019, in what official reports describe as a suicide. Authorities say his death occurred sometime before 6.30 am, when a Corrections Officer arrived to deliver his breakfast. Epstein’s death was later ruled “suicide by hanging,” though no exact time of death was officially stated.

According to official accounts, two Special Housing Unit (SHU) officers began their shift delivering breakfast. They unlocked Epstein’s tier to pass food through the door slot but raised the alarm when he did not respond. The officers then entered the cell and discovered him hanged.

The medical examiner who performed the autopsy reportedly said Epstein’s injuries “were consistent with suicide by hanging and that there was no evidence of defensive wounds that would be expected if his death had been a homicide."

“Epstein did not have marks on his hands, broken fingernails or debris under them, contusions to his knuckles that would have evidenced a fight, or, other than an abrasion on his arm likely due to convulsing from hanging, bruising on his body," the report added. 

Despite these findings, speculation continues over how investigators handled the case and the circumstances surrounding Epstein’s death.