DOJ Releases Video of Jeffrey Epstein's Jail Cell, but There's a Minute Missing
The video released by DOJ, from inside the Metropolitan Correctional Center, begins at 7:30 p.m. on August 9, 2019 and ends at 6:40 a.m. on August 10. Epstein was found dead in his cell on August 10 around 6:30 a.m. The missing minute from the video occurs on the night of August 9 where the tape seems to jump from 11:58:58 p.m. to 12:00:00 a.m.
The full video released by DOJ is almost 11 hours long, but we've clipped the missing portion below.
What's going on here? Gizmodo emailed the DOJ press office which acknowledged receipt of our email but didn't answer our questions.
It's important to note that it doesn't appear Epstein's cell door is even visible in the video that was released. Epstein was escorted to his cell at 7:49 PM after meeting with his lawyers. And the video gives you a sense of where that cell is, out of sight from the view we have. Two cameras that were presumably closer and gave a better view of his cell door malfunctioned, according to a report from Reuters published Aug. 2019.
We've clipped that portion below, which is purported to show Epstein being escorted to his cell in the distance around 7:49 p.m.
Many people on social media have questioned why the doors in the video are different from the photos aired in 2019 by 60 Minutes that show police tape covering Epstein's cell. A door with a window is seen, whereas the visible doors in the video that was released by the DOJ don't feature any windows.
It's also notable that DOJ released two versions of the video. The first is apparently untouched, though you can't make out Epstein in either. The second was altered slightly by the FBI. As the DOJ put it in a letter published online: 'During this review, the FBI enhanced the relevant footage by increasing its contrast, balancing the color, and improving its sharpness for greater clarity and viewability.' The two clips embedded above are from the unaltered video. The altered video is available on the DOJ website.
People are understandably upset that it seems like folks at the DOJ aren't being transparent about what happened to Jeffrey Epstein, since high-profile figures like FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino were so insistent that any files be released. Now these men insist Epstein really did kill himself and MAGA-world can't seem to figure out why.
'This systematic review revealed no incriminating 'client list.' There was also no credible evidence found that Epstein blackmailed prominent individuals as part of his actions,' the new statement from DOJ reads. 'We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties.'
Attorney General Pam Bondi was the one who recently said she had the Epstein client list sitting on her desk for review, a quote that Fox News reporter Peter Doocy asked about during the White House press briefing on Monday. Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, insisted that Bondi didn't actually say the thing we all heard her say.
DOOCY: So what happened to the Epstein client list that the attorney general said she had on her desk?
LEAVITT: I think if you go back and look at what the attorney general said
DOOCY: I've got the quote. She said, it's sitting on my desk right now to review.
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— Acyn (@acyn.bsky.social) July 7, 2025 at 10:51 AMGizmodo will update this article when we hear back from the DOJ. But given the controversy surrounding this one, we assume we're not going to get any kind of answer.
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