What Happened the Night Jeffrey Epstein Died? New Files Put Guard Tova Noel Back in Spotlight

The release of the Epstein Files has brought Tova Noel back under scrutiny. Noel is the prison guard who was on duty the morning Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide in his cell in the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC), New York.

Though Noel has repeatedly denied any links to the convicted s– offender’s death, she was mentioned several times in the documents released by the Department of Justice (DOJ). Earlier in March, her browsing history, obtained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), was declassified.

The history showed that Noel searched for Epstein online just minutes before his death on August 10, 2019. She searched ‘‘latest on Epstein in jail’ on Google twice between 5:42 a.m. and 5:52 a.m. that morning. Epstein was found hanging in his cell at 6:30 a.m.

It was also reported that Noel and her colleague, Michael Thomas, were supposed to check on Epstein every 30 minutes. However, they instead spent the night sleeping and browsing the internet. The two were also accused of falsifying prison records to signal that they had performed their duty and checked up on inmates every half hour.

Both were eventually suspended from their jobs and charged with making false records. The charges were later dropped. Meanwhile, the Epstein Files revealed that Noel made mysterious cash deposits in her bank account in the months leading up to Epstein’s death. The largest deposit, worth $5000, was made on July 30, 2019.

In an interview with the DOJ in 2021, Noel claimed she did not recall googling Epstein before his death. She also said that the prison guards at MCC rarely followed the 30-minute checking rule. At the time, she was not asked about the cash deposits. The declassified documents further showed an email from the U.S. Attorney’s office that discussed dropping charges against Noel and Thomas as part of a plea deal.

“As set forth in the memo, the defendants’ cases were resolved through deferred prosecution agreements requiring that, for a term of six months, the defendants not commit new crimes, cooperate with a Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General investigation, and complete 100 hours of community service. Both defendants have complied with their respective DPs, and a nolle is now appropriate,” the email read.

As the release of the files brought Noel back into the spotlight, the House Oversight Committee (HOC) asked her to testify before them. In a letter addressed to her on March 13, HOC’s Chairman and Kentucky Rep. James Comer wrote, “Due to public reporting, documents released by the Department of Justice, and documents obtained by the Committee, the Committee believes you have information that will assist in its investigation.”

The transcribed interview was supposed to take place on March 26 at 10 a.m. ET, but has now been postponed due to scheduling issues. The new date of the testimony has not been announced yet.