Epstein quietly removed a trove of evidence before police raided his mansion, and what vanished may explain everything

Newly released Department of Justice documents detail how Jeffrey Epstein removed potential evidence from his Palm Beach mansion before police executed a search warrant. As reported by ABC News, the unsealed records show that materials were taken during a critical three year period when local and federal investigators were first examining his conduct.

Less than two weeks before the Palm Beach Police Department raided the property in October 2005, a private investigator working for defense attorney Roy Black removed numerous items from the home. The documents indicate that multiple computers, dozens of phone directories, and sexually explicit material were taken before authorities arrived. The removal occurred prior to Epstein securing a plea agreement that later drew widespread criticism.

A 2020 report from the DOJ’s Office of Professional Responsibility concluded the computers contained potentially critical evidence. Prosecutors never obtained the materials during that early stage of the case, a failure that may have altered how the investigation unfolded. The report stated there was good reason to believe the computers held relevant and potentially critical information and that Epstein did not want their contents disclosed.

Investigators found key items missing when they executed the search warrant

A 2005 memo from private investigator William Riley stated that another investigator, Paul Lavery, removed items of potential evidentiary value from the Palm Beach home. According to the memo, more than 100 items were taken, including three computers, 29 bound telephone directories, a list of local masseuses, and at least ten photographs of nude or partially nude women. Some of the photographs contained handwritten messages.

Additional items removed included sexual paraphernalia, five pieces of women’s underwear, Epstein’s concealed carry permit, his Harvard University identification card, and more than $2,000 in cash. The memo also referenced dozens of mostly pornographic VHS tapes and books related to dominant and submissive sexual practices. Flock camera surveillance backlash has renewed attention on how quickly digital records can disappear when systems are controlled privately.

When Palm Beach police executed the warrant, detectives noted that several items were conspicuously absent. Computer monitors and printers remained in the home, but the computers themselves were gone, and security cameras were not connected to recording equipment. An FBI agent later stated in a sealed court filing that the items were purposely removed in anticipation of the search and likely contained vital evidence, including possible surveillance footage from the residence.

In 2021, a former personal assistant told the FBI that Epstein instructed her to gather items because something had happened to his detriment and that an unknown man would retrieve them. She said she also removed materials from his private island. Epstein’s property manager confirmed that Lavery collected the computers in the fall of 2005.

Law enforcement later sought to recover the materials, focusing primarily on the three computers. Epstein’s attorneys argued the items were irrelevant and protected by attorney client privilege, stating that the investigators’ actions were conducted in connection with legal representation. Anthropic AI safety backpedal has also kept scrutiny high on how safeguards can be narrowed once oversight becomes contested.

Subpoenas were issued, but the materials were not turned over during that period. Lavery reportedly said he delivered the items to Riley, who managed Epstein’s storage units. Riley was subpoenaed but did not provide the materials, with objections filed by Epstein’s legal team.

As civil lawsuits emerged in 2009, Epstein’s lawyers continued efforts to prevent disclosure of the stored materials, citing the non prosecution agreement. Riley confirmed he would keep the items in a secure location, and records show Epstein paid for storage as late as 2010. The location of the materials in the years leading up to the renewed New York investigation before Epstein’s 2019 death remains unknown.