Attorney General 'Appalled' at Epstein's Death

Among those stunned by Saturday morning's news that Jeffrey Epstein is dead is the attorney general of the US. In a statement, William Barr said he was "appalled" at news of the apparent suicide, reports the Washington Post. “Mr. Epstein’s death raises serious questions that must be answered,” said Barr. The Wall Street Journal reports that Barr wasn't just officially "appalled," he was privately "livid" that Epstein apparently killed himself while incarcerated in a Manhattan prison. Both the Journal and the AP report that Epstein had been taken off suicide watch, even though he recently turned up with bruises on his neck while in prison. It was not clear whether those earlier bruises were self-inflicted.

Had he been under suicide watch, it would have been more difficult for Epstein to kill himself—and video would likely be available from his cell. The federal Bureau of Prisons says Epstein was found unresponsive in his cell at the Metropolitan Correction Center about 6:30am and transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Multiple outlets quote law enforcement sources as saying that Epstein hanged himself in his cell, though no specifics beyond that have been provided. The FBI is investigating, and the Justice Department's inspector general also will look into what happened. (Conspiracy theories were quickly emerging.)