One of Jeffrey Epstein’s prison guards, Tova Noel, Googled Epstein about an hour before his body was found in his cell on Aug. 10, 2019
Noel searched “latest on Epstein in jail” at 5:42 a.m. and 5:52 a.m. local time, according to an FBI record of her internet search history
Noel and Michael Thomas, who was also assigned to guard Epstein, were previously detained and charged with falsifying records about their activities when they were meant to check on Epstein, but the charges were later dropped
One ofJeffrey Epstein’s prison guards Googled him just before his body was found, according to documents released by the Department of Justice.
Records show that shortly before Epstein was found hanged in his cell at New York City’s Metropolitan Correctional Center on Aug. 10, 2019, Tova Noel, a staff member assigned to guard the convicted sex offender, conducted a Google search for “latest on Epstein in jail” twice.
The correctional officer searched the term at 5:42 a.m. local time and then again just 10 minutes later, at 5:52 a.m., according to an FBI record of Noel’s internet search history viewed by PEOPLE. It was the only search highlighted in the document.
TheNew York Postwas first to report the news.
Before searching for “latest on Epstein in jail,” Noel shopped for furniture, her search history further shows.
A phone call reporting that Epstein had been found hanged was made just over an hour later, at around 7:00 a.m., per FBI records.
Guards found Epstein — who was awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges at the time —unconscious in his jail cell in cardiac arrestand he was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His death at 66 was officially ruled asuicide by hanging.
In the wake of his death, Noel and Michael Thomas, who was also assigned to guard Epstein at the federal jail,were detainedand charged with falsifying records about their activities when they were meant to check on him every 30 minutes, according to an indictment,The New York Timespreviously reported.
The criminal charge alleged that the two employees were napping and looking online at items for sale rather than conducting required rounds during the time that Epstein killed himself between 10:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. Security cameras showed that nobody entered the wing where Epstein was alone in his cell during this time.
The charges against both Noel and Thomas were ultimately dropped in 2021, according to thePost.
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During her sworn statement to the DOJ in 2021, Noel said she did not have any part in Epstein’s death, and denied Googling the late sex offender, thePostreported.
