Newly surfaced Justice Department records are raising fresh questions about the chaotic and controversial night Jeffrey Epstein died behind bars.
According to documents reviewed by the New York Post, a correctional officer assigned to the unit where Epstein was held searched his name on Google just minutes before the disgraced financier was discovered dead in his Manhattan jail cell.
The guard has been identified as Tova Noel, one of the officers responsible for monitoring inmates inside the Special Housing Unit at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in August 2019.
Epstein, a convicted pedophile awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, was found lifeless on August 10, 2019. Officials ruled the death a suicide by hanging, but the circumstances surrounding it have fueled years of skepticism and public scrutiny.
Federal Bureau of Investigation records reportedly show that Noel searched the phrase “latest on Epstein in jail” twice shortly before correctional officer Michael Thomas discovered Epstein’s body. The searches occurred within minutes of the discovery, raising immediate questions about the timeline of events inside the facility.
Investigators also learned that Noel had spent portions of her shift shopping online and allegedly sleeping rather than performing required inmate checks. Guards assigned to the unit were required to conduct rounds every 30 minutes.
Noel and Thomas were later accused of falsifying records to make it appear as though those checks had been completed. Both guards lost their jobs, though the criminal charges filed against them were eventually dropped.
At the time, Manhattan U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman sharply criticized the conduct.
Prison guard googled Jeffrey Epstein minutes before his body was found – and deposited thousands days before pedophile’s suicide: DOJ https://t.co/eiQXr5SXIL pic.twitter.com/92gf86kLua
— New York Post (@nypost) March 7, 2026
Do you believe the actions of the prison guards contributed to Epstein's death?
“The guards had a duty to ensure the safety and security of federal inmates in their care,” Berman said in 2019. “Instead, they repeatedly failed to conduct mandated checks on inmates, and lied on official forms to hide their dereliction.”
The documents also revealed suspicious financial activity connected to Noel. Chase Bank flagged a series of cash deposits into her account and filed a suspicious activity report with the FBI in November 2019.
According to the report, Noel made 12 deposits beginning in April 2018. The largest—$5,000—was made on July 30, 2019, just days before Epstein was found dead.
Additional testimony from inside the jail has only deepened the mystery. An inmate told the FBI he overheard guards discussing a possible cover-up shortly after Epstein was discovered.
According to FBI notes cited by the Miami Herald, the inmate recalled hearing officers shout “Breathe! Breathe!” around 6:30 a.m. Moments later, one officer allegedly said, “Dudes, you killed that dude.”
A female guard reportedly responded, “If he is dead, we’re going to cover it up and he’s going to have an alibi — my officers.”
The inmate claimed the entire wing heard the exchange. After news of Epstein’s death spread, inmates reportedly began saying, “Miss Noel killed Jeffrey.”
Adding to the controversy, Epstein’s cell was located only about 15 feet from the guards’ desk — a distance that continues to fuel debate over how such a high-profile prisoner could die without immediate intervention.
