Added to the list of faked Moon landings, JFK, and September 11 conspiracy theories, the American public continues to be obsessed with what happened to Jeffrey Epstein. Investigations into the shamed financier originally started back in 2005, and in 2008, he pleaded guilty to child prostitution and soliciting a prostitute but struck a plea deal. Epstein was again arrested in 2019 on federal charges for the sex trafficking of minors in Florida and New York, but was found dead in his prison cell while awaiting trial.
Over the years, Jeffrey Epstein wined and dined with A-list actors, royals, and politicians, accused of cultivating an elite social circle that sexually abused many women and children. Due to the suspicious nature of Epstein's death, it's a popular conspiracy theory that he was silenced over the information he held on these big names.
The Trump administration has become embroiled in the whole sordid saga, especially with Attorney General Pam Bondi's spectacular claims that she had Epstein's infamous 'black book' sitting on her desk.
The President himself was pulled into things, and although it's well-documented that Donald Trump met with Epstein numerous times, Elon Musk spectacularly claimed the POTUS is named in the Epstein files.
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Musk is among those who have called for a full release of the Epstein files, and now, the conspiracy theorists are having a field day. Metadata from 11 hours of security footage from near Epstein's cell might suggest that it's been tampered with.
As reported by Wired, 'full raw' footage from Epstein's last day alive seems suspicious. The body of Epstein was found in his cell, with medical examiners determining he died from hanging on August 10, 2021. Proper protocols apparently weren't followed on the night of his death, with Epstein missing a cellmate, guards supposedly falling asleep, and security cameras apparently malfunctioning.
Wired and independent video forensics experts have claimed that instead of being a direct export from the prison's surveillance system, the supposedly 'raw' footage has been 'modified', "likely using the professional editing tool Adobe Premiere Pro."
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The outlet says the file looks like it's been assembled from at least two source clips, has been saved multiple times, exported, and then put on the Department of Justice's site.
Admittedly, the footage might've been processed for public release with no modifications other than the two clips being stitched together.
Still, a lack of explanation from the DoJ is already fuelling rampant conspiracy theories.
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If that wasn't enough, there's a missing chunk of footage from 11:58:58 pm until the video resumes at 12:00:00 am.
In May 2025, the FBI confirmed it planned to release surveillance footage from the night of Epstein's death, hoping to prove he was alone in his cell and no foul play was involved. Deputy Director Dan Bongino previously said the security footage shows there's no evidence of outside involvement and reaffirmed the official ruling of suicide.
Author Mike Rothschild discussed the latest release and reiterated: "So whatever your flavor of Epstein conspiracy is, the video will help bolster it."
Hany Farid is a professor at UC Berkeley who focuses on digital forensics and misinformation, with him also sharing his concerns. Saying the Metadata raises questions about the handling of digital evidence, he concluded: "If a lawyer brought me this file and asked if it was suitable for court, I’d say no. Go back to the source. Do it right. Do a direct export from the original system—no monkey business."
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The FBI referred Wired to the DOJ, while the DOJ pointed the outlet back to the FBI and the Bureau of Prisons. The BOP didn't respond to a request for comment before Wired’s article was published.