Jeffrey Epstein, the financier who rubbed shoulders with America's most elite, was supposed to have been checked by guards every 30 minutes, states a report by The New York Times. The 66-year-old was awaiting trial in Metropolitan Correctional Center on federal charges that he sexually abused dozens of teenage girls. After being denied bail, Epstein was found in his cell unconscious with marks around his neck. He was allegedly placed on watch after that. Still, he was found dead in his cell at 6:30 AM on Saturday. His death has been ruled a suicide, for now. Apparently, the 30-minute guard checks were not being completed.
The Manhattan jail had transferred Epstein's cellmate and allowed him to be alone in a cell just two weeks after he had been taken off suicide watch, a decision that violated the jail’s normal procedure, two officials told The Times. The Justice Department and the F.B.I are now investigating the suspicious activity surrounding the death of Epstein. The wealthy financier has ties to the Clintons, Donald Trump, and Leslie Wexner, the billionaire behind Victoria's Secret. Although there is no evidence of foul play yet, people on social media are already blaming his death on his connections to the nation's most elite.