Epstein Suicide Video: Manipulation Claims and the 'Missing Minute' Controversy
A recent report by Wired claims that the 10-hour surveillance video, intended to show no one entered Jeffrey Epstein's cell before his suicide, was likely modified before its public release. This revelation comes as the U.S. government attempts to counter persistent conspiracy theories surrounding Epstein's death.
Evidence of Editing
Metadata analysis suggests the footage wasn't directly extracted from the prison's surveillance system. Instead, it appears to have been altered using Adobe Premiere Pro. However, the report stresses that there's no concrete evidence indicating the changes were intended to deceive.
The 'Missing Minute'
The released footage contains a one-minute gap, specifically from 11:58:58 pm to 12:00:00 am. Attorney General Pam Bondi explained this as a technical glitch – a system reset occurring nightly at midnight. The Department of Justice maintains this gap is present in every night's recording.
Background: Surveillance System Issues
Jeffrey Epstein, convicted of trafficking, was found dead in his cell in 2019. Out of the 150 analog surveillance cameras in the prison, a technical issue rendered almost half of them non-functional starting in July 2019. While repairs were scheduled for August 9th, the night before Epstein's death, they weren't completed due to the technician's inability to access necessary equipment. Consequently, only two cameras were operational: one monitoring the common area and another the 9th-floor elevator bay, where Epstein's cell was located.
