The ‘missing’ surveillance footage of Jeffrey Epstein’s first suicide attempt is FOUND

The missing surveillance footage of Jeffrey Epstein’s suicide attempt in jail has been found, one day after prosecutors claimed it mysteriously vanished from the prison. 

On Thursday Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Swergold and Maurene Comey told federal judge Kenneth Karas in a court filing that the video was found.  

‘Earlier today, the Government confirmed with [Metropolitan Correctional Center] staff that the Video was preserved by MCC staff,’ the statement said as per the New York Post. 

Yesterday the mystery into Epstein’s death seemed to deepen when Swergold stood up in court and claimed the footage hadn’t been retained by the facility. 

That video in question was footage from outside Epstein’s cell at Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City when he attempted to take his own life on July 23.  

In that attempt Epstein was found with neck injuries after he apparently tried to hang himself and was moved to suicide watch at the prison. 

Two weeks later Epstein succeeded in killing himself in his cell on August 10.

On Wednesday Swergold said: ‘It is our understanding that the video no longer exists…it was not preserved.’  

In court on Wednesday prosecutors revealed that they could not locate the footage from outside Epstein’s cell at Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City (above) when he attempted to take his own life on July 23

This graphic shows the breakdown of Epstein’s cell in prison 

A judge told prosecutors Wednesday to look further as to how the footage disappeared. 

Epstein’s cellmate at the time Nick Tartaglione, who was awaiting trial for four counts of murder, had formally requested that video be preserved two days after the suicide attempt as evidence. 

‘I don’t know the details of how it was lost or destroyed or why it wasn’t retained when it should have been,’ Tartaglione’s lawyer Bruce Barket said Wednesday.

On Thursday upon the discovery of the footage, he said, ‘We look forward to seeing it.’ 

Tartaglione, a former cop, was accused of attacking Epstein the night of July 23. But he claimed he tried to save Epstein from his suicide attempt. 

‘We want to be sure that all the evidence is preserved to show that Nick behaved appropriately and even admirably that evening,’ Barket said in court in Wednesday, 

‘We asked for all the video and photographic evidence to be preserved, specifically this surveillance video. Now it’s gone,’ he added. 

Barket noted that Tartgalione has still not been questioned about Epstein’s suicide.  

The missing footage could mean trouble for Epstein’s cellmate at the time Nick Tartaglione (left and right). Epstein accused Tartaglione of attacking him that night, but the ex-cop claims he tried to save Epstein

Tartaglione, who was awaiting trial for four counts of murder, had formally requested that video be preserved two days after Epstein’s suicide attempt as evidence

Epstein ultimately was found dead on August 10 and his death was called an apparent suicide but no formal determination has been made. 

The circumstances of his death are now under investigation by the Justice Department. 

Two prison guards on duty the night Epstein died are accused of falsifying records in which they lied about making required checks on the financier when in reality they hadn’t, leaving Epstein alone in his cell for eight hours before he was found dead. Those guards have pleaded not guilty. 

At the time of his death Epstein was awaiting trial for sex trafficking underage girls. 

Following Epstein’s shocking death the prison has come under fire for neglect in checking in on the financier behind bars. 

In light of the controversy the Council of Prison Locals E. O. Young stated that prisons ‘can’t ever stop anyone who is persistent on killing themselves.’