All the people linked to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal who have died by suicide

Daily Mail​

2 days ago

The suicides of people connected to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal have only deepened the controversy, sparking a storm of speculation.
A long and troubling shadow hangs over the witnesses, accusers and others linked to Epstein, with his death in particular a key part of persistent conspiracy theories about government cover-ups and the involvement of powerful figures.
Interest surged again after a July 7 Justice Department memo ruled Epstein's death a suicide and denied the existence of an incriminating client list, reigniting outrage and debate over the so-called Epstein files.
Donald Trump has faced criticism for his administration's response to the Epstein scandal, even from his most loyal supporters. The president has tried to quell critics by distancing himself from Epstein and calling for the release of grand jury transcripts.
The mounting pressure on Trump intensified after a Wall Street Journal report alleged he wrote his former friend Epstein a salacious birthday card in 2003. Trump said the card was fake and sued the WSJ for defamation.
Here's a closer look at all the individuals linked to the Epstein scandal who have died by suicide.
Jeffrey Epstein
Jeffrey Epstein was found hanging in his New York prison cell on August 10, 2019, while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
Epstein's untimely death has led some conspiracy theorists to believe he was murdered to protect other high-profile individuals who were potentially complicit in his alleged crimes.
The Justice Department maintains that Epstein died by suicide, but questions still linger.
Surveillance footage from the night of his death, which officials said would provide 'full raw' coverage, was 'missing' parts of the video.
The DOJ also acknowledged multiple protocol failures, including Epstein being left unattended and guards neglecting their rounds.
Virginia Giuffre
Virginia Giuffre, the most prominent victim of Epstein, died by suicide on April 25 this year. She was 41 years old.
The American-born mother of three was found dead at her farm in Neergabby, Australia, where she had been living in recent years.
Her tragic ending came after a life of tireless advocacy on behalf of herself and other alleged victims of Epstein's sex crimes.
Giuffre was born in California in 1983 and as a grade-schooler was sexually abused by a man her family knew.
She spent time as a runaway, was shuffled through foster homes, and lived on the streets at just 14. She was first forced into sex trafficking by Miami sex trafficker Ron Eppinger.
Eventually, Giuffre got free of Eppinger and reunited with her father, Sky. When she was 16 years old, in 2000, her father, who worked in maintenance at Mar-a-Lago resort, the private club owned by Trump, got her a job as a locker room attendant.
That's when she said she met Ghislaine Maxwell, the daughter of Robert Maxwell, a former member of parliament and publisher of several British newspapers.
Epstein and Maxwell groomed her to serve both of them as well as other clients sexually, she said in an interview and a sworn court affidavit.
Trump claimed Epstein 'stole' Giuffre and several other young female workers from his Mar-a-Lago spa, citing the incident as the reason for their falling out.
Giuffre claimed in 2011 that she was sex trafficked to Prince Andrew on three occasions by Epstein and Maxwell, the first time when she was 17.
The Duke of York has consistently and vehemently denied her claims, as has convicted sex offender Maxwell, who Giuffre claims acted on Epstein's behalf.
Giuffre settled her lawsuit with Prince Andrew out of court in 2023 for an undisclosed amount rumored to be in the millions (he did not admit wrongdoing in the settlement). Afterward, she lived a relatively quiet life with her husband, Robert, and their three children.
In the weeks leading up to her death, she had made troubling posts on social media, detailing a spate of hospital admissions and a quad bike accident.
Mark Middleton
Mark Middleton, who served as special assistant to President Bill Clinton during his first term, admitted Epstein to the White House on seven of at least 17 visits. He died by suicide in May 2022.
At 59 years old, Middleton's body and car were found at the Heifer Ranch, which is owned by an anti-poverty nonprofit called Heifer International, in Perryville, Arkansas, an hour west of Little Rock.
Middleton also flew on Epstein's jet, nicknamed the 'Lolita Express'.
Middleton left the White House in February 1995 and was accused of setting himself up as an international deal-maker.
In 1996, an investigation by the White House found that Middleton had abused his access to impress business clients. He was barred from the executive mansion without senior approval.
According to the Arkansas Times, Middleton's family said he was suffering from depression.
Jean-Luc Brunel
Jeffrey Epstein's French modeling agent friend, Jean-Luc Brunel, was found dead in his Paris prison cell in February 2022. He had been held since December 2020 on charges of raping minors.
Brunel had made several suicide attempts in prison before being found in his cell hanged with his bedsheets on February 19, 2022.
French prosecutors opened their own investigation into Brunel after allegations arose in the US and France that he had raped and procured underage girls for Epstein.
According to court documents, Virginia Giuffre said Brunel used her as a 'sex slave' and forced her to have sex with well-known politicians and businessmen.
Brunel, who began his career as a model scout in the 1970s and later co-founded the MC2 agency in Miami, was briefly freed in late 2021 before being reincarcerated by a Paris court of appeal.
His lawyers said his death aged 75 was 'not guided by guilt but a profound sense of injustice', insisting Brunel denied all charges.
Thomas Bowers
Thomas Bowers, a former Deutsche Bank executive, hanged himself at his Malibu home in November 2019 at the age of 55.
Bowers was head of Deutsche Bank's wealth management division until 2015.
Deutsche Bank's relationship with Epstein, which lasted from 2013 until 2018, was the focus of lawsuits after his death (he banked with JPMorgan from 1998 until it closed his accounts in 2013).
In 2020, Deutsche Bank agreed to pay $150 million to New York regulators to settle allegations that it overlooked suspicious transactions linked to Epstein.
'We acknowledge our error of onboarding Epstein in 2013 and the weaknesses in our processes, and have learned from our mistakes and shortcomings,' a Deutsche Bank spokesman said at the time.
The bank also reached a $75 million settlement with victims of Epstein in 2023, but did not acknowledge any wrongdoing as part of the settlement. There is no public evidence directly linking Bowers to Epstein's accounts.
As part of his role dealing with high-profile clients Bowers oversaw Rosemary Vrablic, who later became Trump's private banker.
He had three children with his wife Abigail, who died in 2017 of unknown causes.