FBI Director Patel, Deputy Bongino try to end theories Epstein was murdered, say he killed himself

"He killed himself. I've seen the whole file. He killed himself," FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said.

Published: May 19, 2025 12:24pm

Updated: May 19, 2025 1:15pm

FBI Director Kash Patel and Deputy Director Dan Bongino this past weekend attempted to end ongoing conspiracy theories that convicted sex offender and wealthy Democratic Party donor Jeffrey Epstein was murdered in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting trial.

"He killed himself. I've seen the whole file. He killed himself," Bongino, a New York City Police Department officer and Secret Service agent, said in a Fox News interview aired Sunday.

He and Patel were responding the interview saying, "People don't believe" that Epstein committed suicide, while he awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

"They have a right to their opinion, but as someone who has worked as a public defender, as a prosecutor who’s been in that prison system, who’s been in the Metropolitan Detention Center, who’s been in segregated housing, you know a suicide when you see one, and that’s what that was," Patel said.

Bongino also posted on X onSunday: "I have reviewed the case. Jeffrey Epstein killed himself. There’s no evidence in the case file indicating otherwise. I’m not asking you to believe me, or not. I’m telling you what exists, and what doesn’t. If new evidence surfaces I’m happy to reevaluate."

Despite New York City’s chief medical examiner ruling Epstein's death a suicide, conspiracy theories have been floated that he was killed by someone, given the circumstances surrounding his death and his connections to famous people like former President Bill Clinton, former MIT Professor Noam Chomsky, and the United Kingdom's Prince Andrew.

Two guards didn't check on Epstein every 30 minutes as required and cameras outside his jail cell malfunctioned, according to multiple reports.

Epstein and Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Giuffre died by suicide last month.

Attorney General Pam Bondi has said she will release the “Epstein files,” such as flight logs and a client list, but an initial unveiling in March mostly included documents that had already been made public.