New York - Jeffrey Epstein hanged himself to protect his
577-million-dollar estate from victims of his sadistic sex
trafficking operation, an attorney argued in new legal papers
Thursday.
Lawyer Brad Edwards, who represents an Epstein victim using the
pseudonym Katlyn Doe, examined the timeline of Epstein's suicide in a
memo filed in Manhattan Federal Court. Edwards wrote that he should
be allowed to probe the reasons for Epstein's suicide because he
believed the multimillionaire pervert knew it would be difficult for
victims to bring punitive damages claims once he was dead.
"In this situation where he was calculatedly attempting to shield his
wealth from victims, he decided the best way to do so was to take his
own life," Edwards wrote.
"Reasonable grounds exist for concluding that Epstein's suicide in
his Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) jail cell was likely
motivated by his decision to escape the financial punitive
consequences of his sex trafficking crimes and torts."
The legal questions surrounding a wealthy, serial pedophile using
suicide to avoid legal claims had little precedent "presumably
because it is an extremely rare circumstance," according to Edwards.
Epstein, 66, was found dead in his cell at MCC on August 10 while
awaiting trial for sex trafficking of underage girls. A key moment in
the hedge funder's fatal decision came on July 22 when he was served
behind bars with a lawsuit filed by Jennifer Araoz seeking punitive
damages, which are intended to punish the defendant, Edwards argues.
The next day, Epstein attempted to hang himself while sharing a cell
with accused quadruple murderer Nick Tartaglione. The former
Briarcliff Manor cop alerted MCC staff and Epstein survived. Epstein
signed his will on August 8, just two days before he was found dead
in his cell.
"The timing of the execution of his Will with his suicide
demonstrates the connection between the two - he was thoughtfully
planning how to best protect his assets for his desired beneficiaries
from his many known victims/creditors," Edwards wrote.
Judge Kevin Castel will decide whether to allow Edwards to delve into
the reasons for Epstein's suicide. The attorney hopes to answer
questions surrounding the reasons Epstein signed the will, plans for
beneficiaries and his knowledge of how many victims he expected to
bring claims.
Attorneys for Epstein's estate argue that all of the punitive damages
claims, including ones against corporations controlled by him, should
be dismissed.