Claims have surfaced challenging the notion that the so-called “missing minute” of security footage from the night Jeffrey Epstein was found dead is truly lost.
Earlier this month, the U.S. Justice Department released nearly 11 hours of surveillance video from the prison where Epstein allegedly took his own life in 2019. Yet, viewers quickly noticed a jump in the footage’s timestamp—from just before 11:59 p.m. straight to midnight.
Attorney General Pam Bondi explained the gap as a result of an automatic tape transfer process triggered each night, compounded by the prison’s outdated equipment dating back to 1999.
But the story took a new twist when a source involved in the investigation told the Daily Mail that both the FBI and DOJ actually hold the “raw tape” containing the missing minute, suggesting the footage may never have been lost at all.
Why Does the Jeffrey Epstein Prison Tape Matter?
You don’t have to buy into conspiracy theories to question how the Epstein case has been handled.
In a surprising shift, former President Donald Trump ordered the release of certain documents just days after the DOJ and FBI insisted there was no evidence of an “Epstein client list.” Republicans have pushed for full transparency, but two judges rejected those demands, citing legal protections.
Despite Trump’s public distancing from Epstein—whose association dates back to the late 1990s and early 2000s—politicians and GOP allies continue to urge him to reveal everything. The files could potentially expose prominent figures and shed light on why they socialized with a convicted sex offender accused of trafficking underage girls to his infamous “Epstein Island.” This has drawn sharp criticism toward the Trump administration.
Officially, New York’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled Epstein’s death a suicide, finding no evidence of foul play. But with Epstein’s ties to wealthy and influential visitors who might have feared being exposed, many conspiracy theories persist about whether he was silenced inside his jail cell.
What’s the Latest on the Epstein Files?
Details remain unclear regarding the Justice Department’s recent interview with Epstein’s former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell. Convicted of conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse minors, Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year federal sentence in Florida.
On July 29, Trump claimed Epstein had abducted young women from his Mar-a-Lago resort, including Virginia Giuffre, a prominent accuser now living quietly on her farm in Western Australia.
“They were in the spa,” Trump told reporters. “I told him, ‘Listen, we don’t want you taking our people, whether it was spa or not spa.’ And he was fine. Then not long after, he did it again.”
When pressed about whether Giuffre worked at the spa, Trump said, “I think she worked at the spa… I think so. He stole her. And by the way, she had no complaints about us, none whatsoever.”