Prison Guard Googled Jeffrey Epstein Minutes Before His Death, Mysterious Cash Deposits Surface
Newly released documents have cast fresh scrutiny on Tova Noel, 37, one of the two Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) officers assigned to Jeffrey Epstein’s cell in the days leading up to his federal trafficking trial. Epstein, the convicted financier, was discovered dead in his cell by hanging on August 10, 2019, at 6:30 a.m., a grim conclusion that fueled intense public speculation.
Court and Department of Justice records reveal that roughly 40 minutes before Epstein was found, Noel reportedly searched online for “latest on Epstein in jail.” Additional searches at 5:42 a.m. and 5:52 a.m. included other inmates, Kenyatta Taiste and Omar Amanat, while a search for “law enforcement discounts” appeared at 6:17 a.m. and 6:19 a.m. During questioning in 2021, Noel denied these actions, stating, “I don’t remember doing that.”
Further complicating the narrative, investigators discovered a $5,000 cash deposit into Noel’s bank account on July 30, 2019—just ten days before Epstein’s death. In total, roughly 12 deposits from December 2018 onward amounted to $11,880. While Noel had previously faced accusations of falsifying prison logs, those charges were dropped, and there is no official assumption of her involvement in Epstein’s death.
Noel was reportedly the last officer to approach the Special Housing Unit (SHU) on the night before Epstein’s death. Internal FBI briefings indicate that around 10:40 p.m., an officer—believed to be Noel—carried linen or inmate clothing to the L-Tier, hours before Epstein’s suicide. She maintained in sworn statements that she did not provide any linen and that neglecting SHU rounds was “a common practice.”
Both Noel and her coworker, Michael Thomas, were fired for allegedly falsifying records showing they checked on Epstein, though legal charges were ultimately dropped. The revelations add another layer to the enduring mystery surrounding Epstein’s death and the conduct of those tasked with guarding him.








