The purchase consisted of private and leased federal lands. Verdict: Plausible, but the supporting testimony is inconsistent with the chronology of the building's construction. According to court filings, Epstein, a convicted sex offender, was accused of trafficking underage girls to the island for sex. The video was liked more than 2,000 times in three days. In March 2011, a top official sent a letter to Epstein's attorney expressing concern over development on the island. Walgreens Wont Distribute Abortion Pills in 20 States. Verdict: Initially believable, but provably false. Once on the island, the underage girls and women say they were coerced into sexual encounters and, in some cases, even held hostage. The two sides did get together after the letter was sent, according to an agency official. The file was created on a desktop by someone logged in as the user GMax on Oct. 14, 2002. A defiant gesture, like a raised middle finger, toward the rest of the world. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook. Records viewed by NBC News show that the building was among proposed new construction that raised alarm inside the Department of Planning and Natural Resources. The directory returned a single entry: a piano tuner named Patrick Baron. It has sadly become famous as being the location where much of his supposed abuse towards young girls took place. A representative for the facility, now called the IJ Morris at Star of David Cemetery, confirmed that Seymour and Pauline Epstein are interred in a mausoleum there. On its website, the foundation says it was established to "support cutting edge science and science education around the world." A Feb. 21 Instagram video ( direct link, archive link) shows a series of clips of former Sign up for notifications from Insider! It is surrounded by palm trees and a terrace with a labyrinth motif. Dollar Vigilante author Jeff Berwick and Luke Rudkowski, of the organization We Are Change, shot the video on Little St. James, telling viewers they had unsuccessfully pleaded with multiple boat captains to take them there, eventually convincing one to drop them off for "five seconds.". 2023 Vox Media, LLC. Investigators also found a taxidermied tiger and poodle in the house. This was how I verified and contacted the first piano tuner, who said he never serviced Epstein's piano on Little St. James. A shocking video of Jeffrey Epstein's notorious "Paedophile Island" has revealed a secret underground lair and an unusual "sex temple" with fake doors. The floors appeared to be made of wood and were covered with a large Oriental rug. The island's southwestern corner features an unusual blue-and-white-striped building that resembles a temple or place of worship. Epstein, who died last month, was said to have masterminded an international sex-trafficking operation, accumulated inexplicable sums of money, and organized his professional and personal lives around a private, inaccessible island all while plying his way into the upper atmosphere of the global elite. In December 2021, a venture capitalist bought the vacant lot for $25.845 million, a source close to the deal told The Wall Street Journal. Epstein, a wealthy hedge fund manager, was arrested July 6, 2019, and faced federal charges for allegedly trafficking minors. Based only on its furnishings, Epstein likely used the building to play piano, read books, work, and maybe relax. Still, no theory has convincingly explained why Epstein erected the building or what may have happened inside. They also got footage of a number of parked tractors and an ambulance, though it's unclear what they were being used for. There is also a grass airstrip and hangar for when Epstein would fly in on his private plane. In 1998, wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein purchased a 75-acre island in the U.S. Virgin Islands for $7.95 million, according to the New York Times. The island, called Little St. James, would become the site of some of his most notorious crimesand Filthy Rich, a new documentary series on Netflix, catalogues many of them. The design slightly resembles ablaq, a masonry technique used in mosques that involves layers of darker and lighter stone. Most had no basis in fact or reason. She was arrested this week. On January 15, 2020, Virgin Islands Attorney General Denise George filed a lawsuit alleging that, as recently as 2018, Epstein and his associates took girls and young women to Little St. James and forced them into sexual servitude and forced labor. The interior had two levels, with the first four to six feet at ground level and the rest on a slightly raised platform accessed by a single step. Modlin Group, Bespoke Real Estate, and Christie's International Real Estate The Saints are collectively marketing the islands. WebDid Jeffrey Epstein Kill Himself? Best There were theater drapes in the room, and furniture. The mansion has a distinctive turquoise roof. It was Shackleford who captured the jaw-dropping scene of FBI agents executing a search warrant throughout the island: But my doubts stemmed from two earlier, less-noticed videos that featured close-ups of the blue-and-white building. These transformations, according to the Associated Press, happened when the island was bought by accused child-sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, who was found dead by apparent suicide in his prison cell on August 10. According to permit records obtained by NBC News, while Epsteins legal team was busy negotiating a notoriously lenient plea deal for their client in the fall of 2007, Epstein was preoccupied with orchestrating major renovations on the island. Or maybe he visited the island and entered the building sometime after he stopped working for Epstein. There is no clear evidence that Epstein constructed a special facility for abusing children or sacrificing them to Moloch or any other deity. Baron described the structure as a "relatively small building" near the island's coast, far away from the other structures on the island. These are just a handful of the various theories sprouting from the discovery of a strange blue-and-white structure on Little St. James, the private Caribbean island once owned and inhabited by the financier Jeffrey Epstein. Verdict: Almost certainly not true. She faces six criminal counts at trial, including enticing a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts. The island has, over the years, gained a handful of sinister nicknames: Orgy Island, Pedophile Island, and Island of Sin. (Epstein, Bloomberg reports, preferred the nickname Little St. Jeffs.). An altar to an ancient deity. The video then reveals that two doors on the temple were actually fake and painted on, and that Epstein has his initials daubed on the structure. At the start of her trial two weeks ago, her lawyers argued that she was a scapegoat who wasnt indicted until nearly a year after Epstein died in a federal jail while awaiting his own sex-trafficking trial. I don't know who gave you my name." The persistence of this mystery is especially remarkable given the intense public scrutiny of Epstein and his circle since his arrest in July. The interior consisted of only one large room; there weren't any doors or stairwells that may have led to other rooms. become of Epsteins sprawling properties. WebJeffrey had purchased Little St. James which was a roughly 75-acre private island in the Virgin Islands in 1998 for $7.95 million dollars. But seriously, what's up with this weird temple thing on Jeffrey Epstein's private island? None of the available photos and videos that depict the golden statues is detailed enough to determine their identities, or if they even have one. This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. They conceded their actions likely broke the law, but that they tried to "make sure we weren't doing too many illegal things all at once.". Now the spotlight is on three other deaths that are linked to the case. Over the years, Epstein built Little St. James, which he referred to as Little St. Jeffs, to include a villa with a library, a Japanese bathhouse, and a movie theater. A shocking video filmed on Jeffrey Epsteins infamous Paedo Island reveals secret underground lairs and a bizarre sex temple with fake doors. On his desk, in his office, in his bedroom.. Every reporter has a personal theory of journalism a mental model of the entire process that explains why they bother with it in the first place. Known as Zorro Ranch, it went up for sale in July for $27.5 million, two years after Epsteins death. Hes not spoken to Epstein in well over a decade, and has never been to Little St. James Island, Epsteins ranch in New Mexico, or his residence in Florida., Statement on Jeffrey Epstein. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories, the discovery of a strange blue-and-white structure. NBC News reported Tuesday that Epstein was seeking to expand his island estate during the same period that his lawyers were secretly negotiating a lenient deal with federal prosecutors in Miami investigating similar allegations against him. Gates' name is listed in the documents for a flight on March 1, 2013, from Teterboro, New Jersey, to Palm Beach, Florida, according to flight logs published by FactCheck.org. Workers told each other it was a music room fitted with a grand piano and acoustic walls. Epstein ultimately struck a 2008 deal that spared him the prospect of a long federal prison sentence. "It's styled like what you might see on a castle, with what appears to be a reinforcing lock bar across the face," he said. An entrance to an underground lair. I wasn't able to reach Scully either. You grow., Im Sick of Being the Bad Guy in Relationships. A former IT contractor who worked for Epstein from 1999 through 2005 also shed light on what was to be found inside Epsteins residence: countless photos of nude women. The probe came after Epstein who was awaiting trial on child sex abuse charges died in his New York City jail cell. Locals say the structure's gold dome was blown away during Hurricane Maria in 2017. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us. Time and Pete Davidsons Love Life March On. On each occasion, Baron traveled to a dock in Red Hook, a town on the eastern end of St. Thomas, where he boarded a small boat that took him to Little St. James. In 1998, for $7.95 million, Epstein purchased Little St. James Island, which is situated between the larger St. Thomas and St. John islands. According to the reporter Rich Schapiro, an unnamed architectural firm submitted blueprints for a domed, single-story building on Epstein's behalf to the Department of Public Works of the US Virgin Islands. Most notably, the men arrived at Epstein's temple, the purpose for which remains unclear, but has sparked a number of conspiracy theories. However, the New York City Department of Finance valued the home closer to $56 million earlier at another point that year. Those 2010 plans, which were part of a permit application that raised concerns inside the agency, included drawings of a building that looks almost nothing like the structure that was built. Epstein bought the 72-acre Little St. Jamesfor $7.95 million in 1998. That's the right shape.". After buying the 72-acre It was Baron, and yes, he had tuned Epstein's piano. How much more time and energy was I willing to spend on a story with so many dead ends? The men briefly rifled through a number of dumpsters on the island, capturing footage of items like crates, suitcases, picture frames, and buckets. And it would be strange for a reader to use their real name to lie about what a local boat captain told them about a particular building on Epstein's private island. Little St. James is the Caribbean island formerly owned by Jeffrey Epstein. The footage gives the impression of a makeshift storage locker, a discreet place to stash seasonal implements, but wouldn't Epstein have had other places to keep extra mattresses? On March 19, 2020, Jeffrey Epstein's former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, sued his estate. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Thanks for contacting us. The cache of evidence, released as part of Maxwells federal sex-trafficking trial, reveals what FBI agents discovered, which included a trove of discs that give a glimpse into their jet-setting lives together. Yet here was a seemingly solvable mystery for which I could not find a solution. As bits and pieces of her past life are laid bare for the public, Maxwell continued to maintain her innocence and pleaded not guilty. We now have a much clearer picture of the building's ostensible purpose. The compound was to feature an amphitheater, an underwater office, and pool, according to the Virgin Islands Daily News. One of the more remarkable features of the building is its exterior treatment: Wide, horizontal stripes, alternating between azure and white, that bend toward the tops of the windows and door. But based on historical satellite imagery from Google Maps, the blue-and-white building appeared on the island sometime between 2009 and 2013. "It's just a flat wall," Berwick said. The piano tuner's denial is one reason to question this account. 2. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google But he is the only visitor to offer a plausible and chronologically sound account of the building's interior. The living area Image source / Mega Ghislaine Maxwell is expected on Tuesday to ask a U.S. appeals court to throw out her conviction for helping Jeffrey Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls, saying a slew of errors marred the case as prosecutors made her a scapegoat because the financier was dead. The drawings show a building with a 10-foot facade, stone exterior and multiple windows on the front. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider This article originally appeared on The Sun and was reproduced with permission. Jeffrey and Ghislaine share many mutual interests and they have a lot of fun together, it continued. To the left, against the western wall, was a small black grand piano. Epstein usually boarded his private plane to fly to St. Thomas international airport, where he would then board a helicopter that whisked him to his private islands. Have You Tried Eating an Orange in the Shower? AG Denise Georges office had asked a judge to freeze his assets following an announcement that the administrator of the Epstein Victims Compensation Program would have to pause making claim offers since the estate couldnt currently replenish the fund. In 2021, Gates said in an interview that it was a "huge mistake" to spend time with Epstein and indicated he had only met with him in an attempt to raise money for global health issues. The Best Street Style From Paris Fashion Week. Jones refers to the owl statue as "Moloch" throughout the film but never explains why. Not according to flight logs. The island was later dubbed "Pedophile Island" and "Orgy Island" by locals, per the Los Angeles Times. Berwick and Rudkowski conceded their actions likely broke the law, but that they tried to "make sure we weren't doing too many illegal things all at once. WebDon't miss any of Inside Edition's jeffrey epstein coverage. I found myself ashamed to discuss my progress with my editor and colleagues, as each additional clue turned out to be a false start. Baron is almost certainly not the only person who stepped inside the blue-and-white building. Speculation about the building, resembling a religious temple, has questioned if it was used for the child sex abuse Epstein was accused of. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. The Wall Street Journal first reported the sale, citing the islands' listing agents. as well as other partner offers and accept our, 10 of the most bizarre details people have reported finding in Jeffrey Epstein's NYC mansion, from a painting of Bill Clinton in a dress to prosthetic breasts mounted on a bathroom wall. The available photos of the statues, by contrast, show distinctly avian heads. On top of being partners [sic] they are also best of friends, it said. What makes it peculiar is that if you wanted to keep people out, the bar would be placed inside the building, [but the] locking bar appears to be placed on the outside as if it were intended to lock people in, he said. The island, which is near St. Thomas in the Caribbean, is only "Even in the condition that I described it in it was sort of a temple," he said. All times AEDT (GMT +11). John Stewart, the owner of a boat-tour agency on St. Thomas, also told reporters that, over the past few weeks, he has seen a large increase in the number of catamarans sailing by Epstein's island. Horus was in control of the sun and the moon. Hodge, Epstein's lawyer, did not return a request for comment. Before we get there, however, let's run down the most popular and probable explanations. I didnt even think about it it was just, get me away.. On the second excursion, he spoke with a woman named Monique who filled a similar role, though she never actually greeted him in person while he was on the island. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider "I wonder if it's a mausoleum with an Egyptian theme," one reader wrote. Furthermore, in his interview with ABC News, Scully said that he frequently saw groups of girls who couldnt have been more than 15 or 16 years old riding ATVs and bathing topless. took girls and young women to Little St. James and forced them into sexual servitude and forced labor. pic.twitter.com/98ha9YYd1l, Per Bloomberg, Les Wexner, chairman and CEO of the L Brands corporation (the parent company of Victorias Secret), also spent time on the island on at least occasion, an employee told the outlet. In July, ABC News spoke with an IT contractor named Steve Scully, who said he worked for Epstein and visited Little St. James more than 100 times. No stairs, no elevator. Maybe Scully never entered the building and only heard about its interior from someone else. This year, he had begun construction on a compound there despite a stop-work order that had been in place since December. Using the directory, I looked up piano technicians in the Virgin Islands. The blue-striped structure sits on a lookout point on the southeastern edge of Little St. James island, which Epstein purchased in 1998 for $7.95 million. You\'ll receive the next newsletter in your inbox. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Lifestyle / News / Our Obsessions. "In the link you provided the building looks rectangular and in the drawings it looked octagonal," he wrote. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider The footage also showed Epstein's eclectic taste in art and home dcor, revealing odd statues of apes, gargoyle-like sculptures, a massive sundial, and an armchair that appeared to be made of animal horns and hide. "The major difference seems to be in the shape of the building itself," Marlon Hibbert said in response to an email request for comment, in which NBC News had provided a link to a photo of the odd-looking structure. (Baron wasn't certain which specific pope, but when I showed him photos of the most recent three, he said his best guess was John Paul II.). I felt no closer to understanding the history of the building or the local lore around it. (Confusing matters further is the disappearance or destruction of some of the building's architectural elements. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. The leak was ruining the top of the piano, and the flooring. The document went on to describe the British socialite as highly intelligent and great company with a ready smile and an infectious laugh who puts people at ease. "I'll admit it's effed up, but I want to see where Satan lived," one St. Thomas visitor told Fox News. Glaser had announced from the onset of his purchase his plans to demolish the property. Kaitlyn Folmer, a producer at ABC News, passed along my contact information to Scully, but I didn't hear back. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. (Baron said he didn't notice "anything scholarly."). ", I asked if he was sure. A look inside Jeffrey Epstein's real-estate portfolio, from the Florida and NYC mansions where sex trafficking reportedly took place to the private island in the Caribbean that was raided by the FBI. He also owned an apartment in Paris on the famous Avenue Foch. Epstein'sseven-story mansion on East 71st Street was valued at $77 million in a 2019 court document. Rudkowski then explores a few of the islands underground rooms and Epsteins gold-tipped temple, where young girls were said to have been abused. Epstein also had a Paris estate that went up for sale last month for $13.5 million. The video follows the pair as they probe the $28.2 million islands secrets giving an insight into the lifestyle of the perverted billionaire. However, the pair claimed they were forced to flee the secluded setting when they were chased away by staff, who they discovered are still working on the island after just 30 minutes. A Feb. 21 Instagram video ( direct link, archive link) shows a series of clips of former President Barack Obama awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom to different celebrities. But why would at least three people the boat captain, the contractor, and the YouTube user convey superficially plausible stories about the structure, sometimes in exacting detail, that didn't withstand basic scrutiny? Celebrated at winter solstice.". On July 9, U.S. Virgin Islands Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett said she would be matching the donations she had received from Epstein over the years to give to organizations in her district that focus on women and children. Why did Jeffrey Epstein's private jet fly to Riyadh on the eve of the 2016 election? The New York City Medical Examiners Office ruled the death a suicide. Follow us on Facebook! That portion of the island already housed a gym, tiki hut, nature observation cabana and dive pavilion, according to the documents. He didn't recall seeing any blue and white stripes on the exterior. Download the NBC News app for breaking news and politics. Password must be at least 8 characters and contain: As part of your account, youll receive occasional updates and offers from New York, which you can opt out of anytime. Plants were cleared. They are, contrary to what people think, rarely apart, I almost always see them together., The duo was described as thick as thieves, with the file noting, they compliment each other really well.. (In a statement, a spokesperson for his former employer called this claim demonstrably false and defamatory.). The Post has obtained current aerial images of the vast properties where Epstein and Maxwell lived large, in addition to haunting interior photographs that were recently revealed in court. Then she hung up. Read more jeffrey epstein news, headlines, stories, photos, and videos from Inside Edition. A dermatologist weighs in on at-home devices. Epsteins New York townhouse where the late pedophile once kept nude photos of girls, creepy taxidermy and a bizarre painting of Bill Clinton in a blue dress was sold for a little under $50 million in March. Epstein, 66, is now facing up to 45 years in prison on charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy. When I went back to the reader, they sent me a link to a YouTube video about Little St. James and claimed they had corresponded with the piano tuner via the comments underneath it. It's no surprise that Epstein would have wanted a grand music room on his private island. A monument to sexual predation. Above the piano hung a portrait of Epstein and the pope. Scully claimed that his client used the building for exercise. Drawings supplied by Epstein's architects to the U.S. Virgin Islands agency that oversees coastal development show that it was designed to be a haven for music: an octagonal 3,500-square-foot pavilion housing a grand piano. The two said they eventually fled when one of them spotted people driving around the island in golf carts. as well as other partner offers and accept our. Something went wrong, please try again later. The reader did not want to be named, but I was able to verify their longtime residence in the US Virgin Islands. A piano tuner who lives in the Virgin Islands told Insider that he visited the building twice in 2012 and described its interior in detail. The building is surrounded by an expansive terrace painted bright white with red shapes. In any case, these theories assert that Epstein built a designated structure to conceal his criminal activities and that he incorporated a series of obvious clues about those activities into the structure's design.