New questions have emerged about Jeffrey Epstein’s death after a former female prison guard told congressional investigators that she was not the unidentified figure seen approaching his cell the night before his death.Tova Noel is a former correctional officer at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan, who testified before the House Oversight Committee that she could not account for the orange-colored figure captured in surveillance footage near Epstein’s housing unit on the evening of August 9, 2019.This person was seen climbing a ladder towards Epstein’s cell level at around 10.39pm, making him the last known person or thing recorded approaching the area before the convicted sex offender was found dead the following morning.“To be very honest, I don’t know what it is, who it is, because I never went back to the class, I never carried anything orange at all, I never issued anything orange to anyone in the SHU — not just Epstein, just anyone,” Noel told investigators, referring to the special housing unit where Epstein was held.The testimony added another layer of uncertainty to a case that has attracted years of conspiracy theories.
Epstein’s death in August 2019 was officially ruled a suicide, but questions persist about conditions inside the prison on the night of his death.According to previous findings, neither the FBI nor the Department of Justice questioned Noel about the mysterious figure. The Justice Department Inspector General’s report indicated the figure was likely Noel’s, although no public evidence was presented to support that conclusion.
The FBI record also raised the possibility that the figure was another inmate, a scenario that would have been highly unusual.Investigators have long faced challenges due to technical malfunctions inside the prison. Most of the facility’s surveillance cameras were not recording that night due to a hard drive failure. The only footage available came from a camera placed in a common area, providing only a limited view of the stairs leading to Epstein’s unit.During her testimony, Noel admitted that she failed to perform mandatory checks on inmates that night. But she denied any involvement in Epstein’s death. She also said she did not know who Epstein was when he arrived at the unit and was not aware of any special restrictions or monitoring requirements associated with his detention.Deputies also questioned Noelle about a series of 12 cash deposits made into her bank account starting in 2018.
She declined to specify the source of the funds but rejected any suggestion that the deposits were linked to Epstein.Noel also denied any knowledge of allegations that she and another officer were paid $6,500 to allow a man named Michael Rose access to Epstein’s cell in order to kill him. Her lawyer said Noel chose to testify voluntarily because she wanted to help provide answers in this high-profile case.