WASHINGTON / NEW YORK — A fresh wave of online speculation has resurfaced around Jeffrey Epstein’s 2019 death in federal custody, after the U.S. Department of Justice released millions of pages of documents under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
The speculation centers on a controversial 4chan post from the morning of August 10, 2019 — hours before news broke that Epstein was found unresponsive in his Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) cell in New York.
What the New Files Show
Court records included in the newly released DOJ material show that prosecutors immediately convened a grand jury the day after Epstein’s
and issued subpoenas to 4chan, Apple, AT&T, and Citibank in an effort to identify the author of the anonymous message.
In those subpoena responses, the name Roberto Grijalva appears in bank records linked to the 4chan account — the first time a real name has been connected to the online post. Online posts and social media accounts have interpreted this as tying the anonymous poster to a correctional officer at the MCC.
What the 4chan Post Claimed
According to copies circulating online, the August 2019 message described unusual prison activity, including: Epstein being taken from his cell in a wheelchair, cuffed. An unmarked “trip van” arriving at the facility. A claim that Epstein’s transfer was somehow irregular and not recorded in standard logs.
The post has since been used by conspiracy theorists as supposed evidence that Epstein was removed alive from the prison and possibly replaced with another prisoner.
Official Investigations Still Reject “Body Swap” Theory
Despite renewed attention, government investigations have repeatedly rejected the notion that Epstein was secretly removed from custody: Multiple DOJ reviews, the FBI, and the Justice Department’s Inspector General have concluded Epstein died by suicide in his cell on August 10, 2019.
Issues such as malfunctioning cameras, missed inmate checks, and guards falsifying logs have been cited as contributing factors — leading to criminal charges against guards, but not evidence of a staged disappearance.
Autopsy and enhanced surveillance analysis have shown no verified footage or forensic indication that anyone entered the housing unit during the crucial hours before Epstein was found.
At present, no credible, verifiable evidence supports the claim that Jeffrey Epstein is still alive or that a body swap occurred. Official government findings remain consistent with suicide by hanging while in custody.
