Jeffrey Epstein likely rehearsed his suicide on July 23, but he was still left to accomplish the real thing weeks later, federal inspectors found

• Jeffrey Epstein likely rehearsed his suicide weeks before he died, an inspector's report says.
• Epstein was placed on suicide watch, but was later left unmonitored and with excess linens in his cell.
• The report documented a number of errors from jail staff, including "significant misconduct."

Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide in a federal prison on August 10, 2019, but had likely rehearsed the act just weeks earlier in a botched attempt that went largely unaddressed within the jail, according to an inspector general's report released Tuesday.

The report revealed that the Metropolitan Correctional Center, where Epstein was detained on sex-trafficking charges, had evidence that Epstein had made a suicide attempt, yet still made a series of missteps that later resulted in his ultimate suicide.

The jail's chief psychologist had determined Epstein likely rehearsed his suicide in the early morning hours on July 23, 2019. The report said guards heard noises from his cell around 1:27 a.m., and Epstein's cellmate told them Epstein had attempted to hang himself.

"Staff observes Epstein lying on the floor with a piece of orange cloth around his neck," a July 23 timeline entry in the report said.

Epstein initially told staff his cellmate had tried to kill him, but the cellmate told staff that he felt something hit his legs while he was asleep. The cellmate said when he turned on the light, he saw "Epstein with a string around his neck."

According to the inspector general's report, the psychologist said there were three potential explanations for the July 23 incident: either Epstein or his cellmate were "gaming the system to get something they wanted that they were not getting," Epstein was rehearsing his suicide, or the cellmate had assaulted Epstein.

The report said the chief psychologist believed the third option was "less plausible," given that Epstein later told her he wanted to be housed with the cellmate.

Though Epstein was initially placed on suicide watch after the July 23 incident, investigators within the jail determined by August 2 that there was "insufficient evidence to determine that Epstein harmed himself." Epstein also denied to psychologists that he was suicidal.

Epstein's body was discovered around 6:30 a.m. on August 10, after staff attempted to deliver breakfast but did not receive a response. They unlocked the cell door and found him hanged in his cell. One end of a piece of orange cloth was tied around Epstein's neck, and the other was tied to the top portion of a bunk in his cell.

The report documented a number of errors from staff members, including "significant misconduct," "poor judgment," and "job performance failure" that provided Epstein ample opportunity to complete a second suicide attempt. For instance, staff members allowed Epstein to hoard "excess prison blankets, linen, and clothing" in his cell, even after the July 23 attempt.

Epstein was also left unmonitored and alone in his cell the evening of August 9. The guards that were supposed to be monitoring him spent much of that evening shopping online and sleeping, according to federal prosecutors.

They were charged with falsifying jail records, and both guards took a plea deal to avoid jail time.