A former prison officer who was on duty the night Jeffrey Epstein died in a New York jail has told US lawmakers that the enduring conspiracy theories around his death have ‘derailed’ her life and left her facing harassment and threats, according to a transcript of testimony shared by The Sun.

The Epstein guard on duty when he was found dead, Tova Noel, told the House Oversight Committee she was not involved in any cover-up and insisted she never conspired in Epstein’s death while working at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in 2019.

The theories emerged as the public attempts to track Epstein’s final hours, including the release of documents tied to earlier investigations and long-standing questions about failures inside the federal jail system.

Epstein, the disgraced financier awaiting trial on s*x trafficking charges, was found unresponsive in his cell on 10 August 2019. His death was ruled a suicide by hanging by the New York medical examiner, a finding later supported by the US Department of Justice, though it has remained the subject of persistent public doubt.

Epstein Guard on Duty Addresses Jail Failures
Noel, who was initially charged in connection with falsifying records during her shift, told lawmakers that the circumstances inside the Metropolitan Correctional Center were shaped by what she described as systemic breakdowns rather than individual misconduct alone.

She pointed to severe understaffing, poor training, and weak communication between management and frontline officers.

Read More: Epstein guard on duty when he was found dead faces death threats over cover-up conspiracy theories