Surveillance video from the final night of Jeffrey Epstein’s life has come under renewed scrutiny after forensic experts raised doubts about the federal government’s official explanation of a mysterious object seen near the convicted sex trafficker’s cell.
Footage obtained and reviewed by CBS News shows an orange-colored figure ascending [1] the stairs toward Epstein’s cell block at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan around 10:40 p.m. on August 9, 2019—the night before the 66-year-old was found hanged in his cell.
BREAKING – Surveillance footage from the night of Jeffrey Epstein’s death reportedly shows a strange unidentified figure in orange walking up the stairs toward his cell just before his death. pic.twitter.com/kiXY8C9vDX [2]
— Right Angle News Network (@Rightanglenews) July 30, 2025 [3]
Federal investigators previously concluded that the object was a corrections officer “carrying linen or inmate clothing.” However, multiple forensic experts consulted by CBS now suggest the figure may instead have been an inmate wearing an orange jumpsuit.
“Based on the limited video, it’s more likely a person in an [orange] uniform,” said Conor McCourt, a retired NYPD sergeant and forensic video expert, in an interview with CBS News.
DOJ surveillance footage shows an orange figure walking up the stairs to Jeffrey Epstein’s cell—the last movement seen before his body was found the next morning.
The figure is believed to be someone wearing an orange inmate jumpsuit.
Their identity and exact answers remain… pic.twitter.com/fwTRKpxlAE [4]
— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) July 30, 2025 [5]
Epstein was discovered dead on August 10, 2019. An official autopsy, along with a joint Department of Justice and FBI investigation, concluded that he died by suicide.
Despite those findings, forensic analysts expressed concern about the adequacy of the DOJ’s review.
While the FBI previously stated that all entry and exit points near Epstein’s cell were monitored by surveillance cameras, CBS’s analysis of the footage revealed that the stairwell near his cell is almost entirely out of the camera’s view.
Additionally, the doorway to Epstein’s cell is not visible in the video reviewed.
“To say that there’s no way that someone could get to that, the stairs up to his room, without being seen is false,” said Jim Safford, a video forensic expert.
Four additional experts consulted by CBS agreed with Safford’s assessment.
The footage itself also raised technical concerns.
CBS reported the video appears to be a screen recording, rather than original footage, due to the visible presence of a cursor and a video menu on screen.
The feed also contained a one-minute gap just before midnight, and the aspect ratio of the video shifted abruptly at one point.
In response to the CBS report, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) stated that its conclusions regarding Epstein’s death remain unchanged.
“Our comprehensive assessment of the circumstances over the weeks, days, and hours before Epstein’s death included the effects of the longstanding, chronic staffing crisis in the [Bureau of Prisons] and the BOP’s failure to provide and maintain quality camera coverage within its facilities,” the OIG said in a statement to CBS News.
“As CBS notes, nothing in its analysis changed or modified the OIG’s conclusions or recommendations.”
Public interest in Epstein’s death reignited earlier this month following a Department of Justice statement that reiterated there was no evidence of foul play.
The statement was issued nearly five years after Epstein was charged with sex trafficking minors and found dead in federal custody.
The DOJ and FBI also confirmed that there was no evidence Epstein maintained a so-called “client list” of individuals involved in his criminal activities.
President Donald Trump addressed the ongoing speculation, urging Americans not to waste “time and energy” on Epstein’s case, calling attention back to issues of national importance.
Meanwhile, U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche met with Ghislaine Maxwell last week for two days of questioning about the case.
Maxwell, currently serving a 20-year federal sentence, was convicted of assisting Epstein in the trafficking and abuse of underage girls.
Her legal team is reportedly seeking a commutation or pardon from President Trump.