Truth Behind Claim of an Orange Shape Spotted Near Jeffrey Epstein’s Cell on the Night of His Death

On August 10, 2019, Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier and convicted sex offender, was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in New York City. His death, officially ruled a suicide by hanging, has been shrouded in controversy, fueling countless conspiracy theories due to Epstein’s high-profile connections and the suspicious circumstances surrounding his final hours. One of the most recent developments reigniting public interest is the claim of a mysterious “orange shape” spotted on surveillance footage near Epstein’s cell on the night before his death.

The Orange Shape: What the Footage Shows

In July 2025, CBS News released a report analyzing surveillance footage from the MCC, captured on August 9, 2019, the night before Epstein’s death. The footage, part of approximately 11 hours of video released by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), shows a grainy, pixelated view of the Special Housing Unit (SHU) where Epstein was held.

Around 10:40 p.m., a shadowy “orange shape” is seen moving up the stairs toward Jeffrey Epstein’s cell block. This indistinct figure has sparked intense debate, as it represents the last recorded movement in the direction of Epstein’s cell before his body was discovered the next morning.

The DOJ and FBI initially described the orange shape as a corrections officer carrying linen or inmate clothing. However, forensic experts consulted by CBS News have challenged this explanation. Conor McCourt, a retired NYPD sergeant and forensic video expert, stated that the shape is more likely a person wearing an orange prison jumpsuit.

Four other video forensics specialists echoed this sentiment, noting that the figure’s movement and form are consistent with a human rather than an object. The footage’s poor quality, coupled with the limited visibility of the staircase and Epstein’s cell entrance, adds to the ambiguity. Only a sliver of the staircase is visible, and the cell door itself is entirely out of the camera’s frame, contradicting earlier FBI claims that surveillance would have captured anyone entering or exiting the area.

Read : Who Is Ghislaine Maxwell, Jailed Former Girlfriend of Convicted Sex Offender Jeffrey Epstein?

Further complicating the narrative is the discovery that the released footage is not “raw” as claimed by federal officials. The presence of a computer cursor and an onscreen menu suggests it is a screen recording rather than unedited video from the prison’s digital video recorder system.

DOJ surveillance footage shows an orange figure walking up the stairs to Jeffrey Epstein’s cell—the last movement seen before his body was found the next morning.

The figure is believed to be someone wearing an orange inmate jumpsuit.

Their identity and exact answers remain… pic.twitter.com/fwTRKpxlAE

— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) July 30, 2025

Additionally, a one-minute gap in the footage, from 11:58:58 p.m. to 12:00:00 a.m., has raised suspicions. Attorney General Pam Bondi attributed this gap to a nightly system reset, but metadata analysis by WIRED revealed that nearly three minutes of footage were trimmed from one of the video clips, with the cut starting at the “missing minute.” This revelation has fueled speculation about whether critical evidence was omitted.

What Was the Truth?

The truth behind the orange shape remains elusive due to the limitations of the available evidence and the inconsistencies in the official narrative. The DOJ and FBI maintain that Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide, a conclusion supported by the New York City medical examiner’s autopsy and a 2023 Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report.

The OIG’s investigation cited numerous institutional failures at the MCC, including a chronic staffing crisis, malfunctioning cameras, and lapses in protocol, such as the failure of guards Tova Noel and Michael Thomas to conduct required 30-minute check-ins on Epstein. These oversights, combined with the removal of Epstein’s cellmate without replacement, despite his suicide watch status, created conditions that allowed him to take his own life undetected.

However, the orange shape introduces a wrinkle in this narrative. If, as forensic experts suggest, the shape was an inmate in an orange jumpsuit, it raises questions about who this individual was and why they were near Jeffrey Epstein’s cell at 10:40 p.m. The MCC’s SHU is a high-security area, and unauthorized movement by inmates should have been restricted.

The OIG’s report does not address this figure specifically, instead attributing the orange shape to a corrections officer carrying materials. Yet, the forensic consensus leans toward a human figure, and the lack of clear footage from a second camera, which could have provided additional context, adds to the uncertainty. The DOJ has withheld this second camera’s footage, citing ongoing investigations, leaving the public with incomplete information.

The truth, based on available evidence, is that the orange shape was likely a person, possibly an inmate, moving toward Epstein’s cell block. However, there is no definitive proof that this individual entered Epstein’s cell or was involved in his death.

The absence of clear video evidence, combined with the documented failures at the MCC, supports the official conclusion of suicide but does not entirely rule out alternative scenarios. The forensic experts’ skepticism about the DOJ’s explanation highlights the need for further transparency, such as the release of the unedited second camera footage, to definitively clarify the nature of the orange shape.

Institutional Failures and Public Skepticism

The controversy surrounding the orange shape is amplified by the broader context of institutional failures at the MCC. Epstein was a high-profile inmate, yet the facility was plagued by systemic issues that compromised security. The OIG’s 2023 report detailed a “perfect storm of screw-ups,” as described by then-Attorney General William Barr, including malfunctioning cameras, falsified guard logs, and inadequate staffing.

Two cameras near Jeffrey Epstein’s cell were not recording, and the guards assigned to monitor him, Noel and Thomas, were charged with falsifying records to indicate they had performed checks when they had not. These charges were later dropped, and no supervisors faced disciplinary action, further eroding public trust.

Public skepticism has been fueled by Epstein’s connections to powerful figures, including former Presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, and Prince Andrew. The release of the surveillance footage was prompted by a campaign pledge from President Trump to address conspiracy theories, but the edited nature of the video and the missing minute have instead intensified doubts.

A Quinnipiac University poll from July 16, 2025, found that 63% of Americans disapproved of the Trump administration’s handling of the Epstein files, reflecting widespread frustration with the lack of transparency. Social media posts on X have amplified these sentiments, with hashtags like #EpsteinCoverUp gaining traction as users speculate about the orange shape’s significance.

The forensic analysis also challenges the FBI’s assertion that no one could have accessed Epstein’s cell without being recorded. Video expert Jim Stafford and four others concluded that the staircase’s limited visibility allowed for unrecorded movement, contradicting claims by Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino that the footage definitively proved Epstein was alone.

This discrepancy, combined with the autopsy findings of broken neck bones—more common in strangulation than hanging, according to forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden—has kept conspiracy theories alive. While the medical examiner and OIG maintain that these injuries are consistent with suicide, the lack of a photograph showing Epstein’s body position in the cell hinders a definitive resolution.

The truth behind the orange shape spotted near Jeffrey Epstein’s cell remains obscured by incomplete evidence and institutional shortcomings. The surveillance footage, while revealing a human-like figure, does not conclusively prove foul play, and the official ruling of suicide is supported by multiple investigations.

However, the DOJ’s failure to release unedited footage, the missing minute, and the forensic experts’ doubts about the government’s explanation ensure that questions persist. The MCC’s documented failures, from staffing shortages to malfunctioning cameras, created an environment ripe for speculation, and the public’s demand for clarity continues to grow. Until all available evidence, including the second camera’s footage, is made public, the orange shape will remain a haunting symbol of the unresolved mysteries surrounding Jeffrey Epstein’s death.