An ongoing online speculation about Jeffrey Epstein is fueled by newly released Justice Department files and photographs that claim the convicted sex offender may have faked his death.
No verifiable evidence from DOJ files supports the claim that Epstein is alive. (X/ @sailing_warrior)The latest round of conspiracy theories centers on an alleged tattoo on Epstein’s left upper arm. Social media users at X have circulated photos they claim show Epstein with a tattoo around his bicep, compared to official photographs taken after his death in August 2019 that show no tattoos.
“There’s a picture of Epstein with a tattoo and then there’s a picture of him on a stretcher with the same arm exposed and no tattoo,” wrote one user. “Something’s not right,” said another.
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Submitted previewAdding to the tattoo claims is a preview excerpt from a 2017 Justice Department deposition involving Epstein. A snippet from a PDF shows a question referring to “a barbed wire tattoo on your left arm,” to which Epstein appears to answer, “Yes.”
However, the full deposition page is unavailable, and does not provide details about the presence of the tattoo or whether it was still present in later years.
Fact-check debates the ‘fake death’ narrativeAI chatbot Grok addressed the claims, noting that 2019 autopsy photographs certified by the New York City Medical Examiner show no tattoos on Epstein’s body.
Grok added that the images circulating online purport to show inconsistencies in displaying a barbed wire tattoo, consistent with image manipulation or misattribution, citing analysis by Reuters and FactCheck.org.
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No verified evidence from DOJ files supports the claim that Epstein is alive or that the body recovered in 2019 is not his.
The speculation began after the US Department of Justice released additional Epstein-related documents.
Epstein was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell on August 10, 2019. Authorities ruled her death a suicide by hanging, a conclusion that has been repeatedly upheld.
As for the confusion about the tattoo, according to photos released in the files it was on his arm. Thomas Massey, a Republican lawmaker who has been among the most vocal advocates for the release of the Epstein files, weighed in on the issue.
“Other tat photos in the files,” he wrote, sharing photos showing Epstein with tattoos
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It’s possible that Epstein’s tattoo was removed, which Maceo suggests. From the tranche of files, one document lists an appointment for Epstein to have the tattoo removed.
