The last ever images of Jeffrey Epstein taken before he allegedly killed himself have surfaced. The mugshots show the multimillionaire pedophile and alleged sex trafficker looking balder, older and more defeated than earlier photos.

Epstein’s fall from the top of the heap to allegedly taking his own life in prison while awaiting trial for charges of sex trafficking and pedophilia has been one of the strangest tales in recent American history.

What really happened to Epstein, and how was he able to get away with his crimes for so long?

Epstein’s Connections

Jeffrey Epstein got a sweetheart Plea Deal in 2008 for charges of pedophilia. Alexander Acosta oversaw this plea deal, and, in his account, the decision to be lenient on Epstein came from somewhere “above his paygrade”. Many have suggested that Epstein has connections to the intelligence community, included Mossad and the CIA, which could explain how he avoided justice for so long.

It’s been speculated that a large reason Epstein was able to avoid prosecution for so many years was his ability to blackmail those who participated in illicit actions with him. Epstein was known to have cameras all over his properties, so the many wealthy and famous individuals who were taking advantage of underage girls at his estates were caught doing so on camera.

Alleged Suicide

After his arrest in July 2019, he was placed on suicide watch, though he was removed from it shortly after. Before his alleged death, Epstein’s cellmate was transferred out and no replacement was brought in. Then, both guards assigned to check his cell once every half-hour state they fell asleep and didn’t check on him for three hours.

Most absurdly, the cameras in front of his cell also malfunctioned the night Epstein allegedly died. When they next checked his cell, the guards state that Epstein was dead, and the body was taken away for an autopsy. Strangely, the injuries dealt to Epstein don’t appear to have been consistent with injuries one would sustain from a hanging.

There has been no final report on the final cause of Epstein’s death, though the official report states that it was an “apparent suicide.” We will likely never know what, exactly, happened to Epstein, or if he really died on August 10.