Accusers seek investigation into associates

Financier Jeffrey Epstein’s death angered some accusers who had hoped to confront him in court and see him serve a long prison sentence.

It also raises questions about how he was able to harm himself while in federal custody.

How did he die?

The US Bureau of Prisons said Epstein was found unresponsive in his cell in the Metropolitan Correctional Centre early Saturday. Staff tried to revive him, and he was transported to a local hospital for treatment. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Epstein had been held in the jail’s Special Housing Unit, part of the facility that separates high-profile inmates from the general population, but his death is likely to raise questions about how the Bureau of Prisons ensures the welfare of high-profile inmates.

Before he took his own life, Epstein has been taken off suicide watch, according to a person familiar with the matter. He had previously been injured with bruises to the neck while in custody, though it was not clear if those were self-inflicted or the result of an assault.

What happens now for accusers?

Several of Epstein’s accusers called on federal authorities to investigate associates of Epstein for any role in his activities.

Sigrid McCawley, an attorney representing one accuser, said that ‘‘the reckoning of accountability begun by the voices of brave and truthful victims should not end’’ with Epstein’s death.

Another accuser, Jennifer Araoz, said she was angered by Epstein’s suicide. Araoz alleged that Epstein raped her in his New York mansion in the early 2000s when she was 15. ‘‘We have to live with the scars of his actions for the rest of our lives, while he will never face the consequences of the crimes he committed.’’ –