The Epstein footage was meant to end conspiracy theories. Here's why it didn’t

The Epstein footage was meant to end conspiracy theories

The US Department of Justice this week released nearly 11 hours of surveillance video it claimed was “full raw” footage from a camera near Jeffrey Epstein’s prison cell, recorded the night before his 2019 death. But rather than putting to rest years of conspiracy theories, the video has only deepened public suspicion.

A WIRED investigation, along with independent video forensics experts, revealed that the footage was edited using Adobe Premiere Pro, a professional video editing tool. Metadata from the video file shows it was stitched together from at least two separate clips, saved multiple times by a Windows user account, and exported before being uploaded to the DOJ’s website.

While experts caution that the metadata doesn’t prove deceptive tampering, the lack of transparency around how the video was processed has renewed concerns over chain of custody and digital integrity. In a case long mired in theories of elite cover-ups and foul play, this ambiguity may fuel more questions than answers.

A ‘raw’ file, professionally processed

The file, supposedly a direct export from the prison’s surveillance system, includes metadata that clearly references Adobe project files, including a section labelled “Ingredients” that shows at least two separate source videos were combined. The footage also appears to have been saved at least four times over 23 minutes on May 23, 2025.

“If a lawyer brought me this file and asked if it was suitable for court, I’d say no. Go back to the source. Do it right,” said Hany Farid, a leading digital forensics expert at UC Berkeley. Farid added that shifts in the video’s aspect ratio and unclear timestamps are further signs of postprocessing that demand an explanation.

The FBI had stated it released both an “enhanced” and “raw” version of the footage and claimed anyone entering the housing unit during the timeframe in question would have been visible. However, it did not address questions about the video’s formatting or editing process, and the DOJ redirected inquiries back to the FBI.

Missing footage, broken cameras

The DOJ memo accompanying the release reiterated findings first presented years ago: Epstein died by suicide while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. The report confirmed that only two functioning cameras were near his unit the night he died—neither of which captured the interior or doorway of his cell.

A one-minute gap in the footage—from 11:58:58 p.m. to 12:00:00 a.m.—further raised eyebrows. At a press conference, Attorney General Pam Bondi attributed this gap to a known daily cycle reset in the surveillance system. But experts say such anomalies, especially in a case this high-profile, require detailed explanation.

The Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC), where Epstein died, was found to be plagued with staffing shortages, malfunctioning equipment, and lax oversight. According to the DOJ’s own inspector general, half of the surveillance cameras were nonfunctional on the night of Epstein’s death.

Conspiracies thrive in silence

The DOJ’s release was intended to counter growing calls for transparency. Instead, it has served as a new lightning rod. “Any aspect of the official story that isn’t fully explained will be co-opted by conspiracy theorists,” said Mike Rothschild, an author who studies misinformation and extremist narratives.

He noted that even evidence suggesting Epstein died by suicide—such as broken equipment, overworked staff, and a coroner’s report—has been reframed as proof of a botched cover-up. The DOJ’s failure to clarify why the footage was processed in Premiere will likely be viewed through that same lens.

One media forensics expert who reviewed the footage for WIRED but asked to remain anonymous summed it up this way: “It looks suspicious—but not as suspicious as the DOJ refusing to answer basic questions about it.”