Michael Franzese—a former capo of the Colombo family who spent time in the same New York prison where Jeffrey Epstein passed away—questioned the official narrative on Monday night.
During an appearance on NewsNation’s “Banfield,” Franzese stated that the Justice Department’s determination that Epstein’s death in 2019 was a suicide simply does not add up.
“Well, you see, I spent seven months on that tier and in those cells, and the first thing I must say is that there is absolutely no way to commit suicide. It is just not possible,” he expressed to the host.
“There is no way to hang oneself. There is nothing from the ceiling; there is nothing from the bed — you would have to be quite small and exert a tremendous effort to attempt to hang yourself,” he continued.
Franzese further remarked, “And I don’t believe you would succeed in that situation. I don’t think you would be able to achieve it.”
He also raised concerns regarding the alleged “camera malfunction” – a ‘missing minute’ in the surveillance footage provided by the Justice Department.
“You know, regarding the cameras being off, I have not encountered that. I served eight years in prison, and I have not seen cameras malfunctioning and a perfect storm of correctional officers failing to monitor those cells,” Franzese, who mentioned his eight years behind bars, elaborated.
“They come in and check on you frequently,” he added. “In fact, it can be quite embarrassing to use the toilet because they are constantly walking by and peering into the cell.”
Franzese concluded, “From the very beginning, I have maintained that I do not believe it was a suicide. While I cannot comment on what transpired with him, I firmly do not believe it was a suicide because it is physically impossible to do so. It would be nearly unfeasible to accomplish.”
The Department of Justice announced last week that it could conclusively determine that Epstein took his own life, that there is no so-called ‘client list,’ and that the department had no further information to disclose – all of which provoked anger among President Trump’s MAGA supporters.
“Following a comprehensive investigation, FBI agents concluded that Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City on August 10, 2019,” stated the DOJ.
Franzese commented on the DOJ’s announcement via social media:
Franzese has been a vocal supporter of President Trump, remarking after he decisively defeated former Vice President Kamala Harris: “What a night. America triumphed today.”
Representative Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) expressed last week his belief that a client list associated with Epstein once existed but was “destroyed” by the Biden administration.
“I believe the files were real at one point,” Burchett stated during an interview on NewsNation’s “On Balance” with host Leland Vittert. “I think they were eliminated in the previous administration.”
A memo from the Justice Department released earlier that week concluded that Epstein never kept the alleged client list used to blackmail high-profile individuals, directly contradicting persistent conspiracy theories. The memo also confirmed that Epstein died by suicide in his New York City jail cell in 2019, dismissing claims that his death was suspicious.
Burchett dismissed claims from former Trump adviser Elon Musk and other media personalities that President Trump’s name was included on any such list.
“I believe if they had ever possessed anything on Trump, it would have been revealed on Day 1 under the Biden administration,” the Tennessee Republican remarked.
