FBI Destroys Original Epstein Surveillance Before Releasing Rebuilt Video
Documents indicate that in June 2024, an FBI agent was authorized to destroy an evidence item labeled 1B60, identified as the master recording of archived video from the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan, where Epstein was found dead in August 2019. The footage had been stored in a warehouse in the Bronx.
A February 2025 document shows that the agent noted the case had been closed and that a prosecutor had agreed with standard procedures for handling evidence. The agent added that, under FBI rules, investigative files remain open if evidence has not yet been disposed of, as reported.
By mid-2025, amid growing public calls for transparency about Epstein-related materials, the Justice Department sought to reconstruct the destroyed footage. Agents eventually found another copy preserved in two files on a digital video recorder system used at the jail, according to a July summary prepared by an FBI digital forensics chief.
On May 21, 2025, an agent re-recorded the footage using a screen-capture tool. The reconstructed video consisted of two segments — one ending at 11:58:58 p.m. and another starting at midnight — creating a 62-second gap.
After the footage was released in July, viewers noticed the missing minute. Then-Attorney General Pam Bondi explained that the gap was caused by a nightly system reset that resulted in a lost minute. However, an FBI specialist reviewing the system described that explanation as a theory that could not be verified. Security experts noted that recurring gaps in recording of this type would be unusual, as stated by reports.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
