Inside the OIG Interview: Tova Noel’s Account of the Morning Jeffrey Epstein Died (Part 4) (3/8/26)

During the Office of Inspector General investigation into the death of Jeffrey Epstein at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in August 2019, correctional officer Tova Noel gave an interview describing how the morning unfolded when Epstein was discovered in his cell. According to her account, she and fellow officer Michael Thomas were assigned to monitor the Special Housing Unit overnight. Noel told investigators that when breakfast rounds began that morning, Thomas approached Epstein’s cell and noticed something was wrong. She said Thomas called out for assistance and that she moved toward the area, where Epstein was found hanging from a strip of bedding tied to the top bunk. Noel stated that Thomas entered the cell first and attempted to cut the ligature while she retrieved equipment to assist, after which they lowered Epstein to the floor so CPR could begin.

However, the OIG investigation was highly critical of Noel’s conduct and the credibility of the circumstances she described. Investigators determined that Noel and Thomas had failed to perform the legally required inmate counts and physical security checks for hours during the night Epstein died, leaving him unmonitored in a high-risk suicide watch environment. The report also found that Noel later signed official count sheets falsely indicating that the checks had been completed, despite evidence showing they had not been. Surveillance records and other evidence suggested the officers spent large portions of the shift away from their assigned duties, and investigators concluded that their negligence created the conditions that allowed Epstein to remain unattended long enough to die. As a result, Noel’s interview with OIG was viewed less as a clear explanation of events and more as part of a broader record showing severe procedural failures and falsified documentation at the very time Epstein required the highest level of supervision.


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