A former corrections officer who was on duty the night convicted sex offender says years of conspiracy theories and threats have devastated her personal and professional life, according to a transcript of her interview with the House Oversight Committee obtained and published by ABC News.
According to the news outlet, former Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) officer told lawmakers that she continues to face harassment, threats and accusations linking her to Epstein’s death despite never being charged in connection with causing it.
“I thought that I would be able to privately rebuild my life and career. Instead, I have consistently been the subject of threats to my life, conspiracy theories, and outrageous rumors, impacting my mental and physical health,” Noel said, according to the transcript reviewed by the news site.
She added that she has received threats from strangers and continues to face harassment at her home and workplace.
“I have received threats from strangers. I have witnessed strangers pontificate about whether I’m a murderer or that I’ll end up dead,” Noel told lawmakers, according to the news outlet.
Blames ‘dysfunctional culture’ at MCC
ABC News reported that Noel acknowledged failing to properly perform required inmate checks on the night Epstein died but said her actions reflected longstanding systemic problems within the facility.
“My responsibility to conduct counts and rounds was improperly executed because of severe understaffing, a lack of adequate training, inadequate communication between management and frontline correctional officers, and other systemic failures,” Noel was quoted as saying.
She described the failures as part of what she called the “MCC Way,” referring to operational practices at the now-shuttered federal jail.
Admitted falsifying records
Noel and another correctional officer were charged in November 2019. Federal prosecutors alleged the officers spent much of their shift at their desks browsing the internet and failed to check inmates in the Special Housing Unit for approximately eight hours before Epstein was discovered unresponsive in his cell.
ABC News reported that Noel admitted she submitted paperwork indicating rounds had been completed. However, she insisted the record falsification was unrelated to Epstein’s death and was not part of any cover-up.
Both Noel and the other officer later entered agreements with prosecutors, and the charges were dismissed in December 2021.
Responds to internet search questions
ABC News reported that lawmakers questioned Noel about internet searches conducted shortly before Epstein was found dead.
less than an hour before his death.
Noel told lawmakers she did not specifically recall making the search.
“Like, if I see it on the homepage, I click on it and read it. But as far as performing a physical search, I don’t recall doing that,” she reportedly said.
Addresses suspicious bank transactions
Committee members also as per the news outlet questioned Noel about financial transactions that had previously drawn scrutiny.
Some conspiracy theories suggested the deposits were connected to Epstein.
Noel firmly rejected those allegations.
“The source of the money that, as I mentioned earlier, has nothing do with Epstein, anyone related to Epstein, involved with Epstein. No one has ever approached, offered, asked. Anything that’s concerning my money has nothing to go with Epstein at all. It’s solely me and my personal savings,” she was qoted as saying.
Denies knowledge of surveillance mystery
Lawmakers also asked Noel about an unexplained orange flash captured on surveillance footage near Epstein’s cell the night before his death.
The image has fueled speculation online for years.
Noel said she had no idea what caused it.
“To be very honest, I don’t know what it is, who it is. Because I never went back to the tier, and I was never carrying anything orange at all, and I never issued anything orange to anyone in the SHU — not just only Epstein, just anyone,” she told lawmakers, according to the news website.
DOJ ruled Epstein died by suicide
Epstein died on August 10, 2019, while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
His death was ruled a suicide by the New York City medical examiner, a finding later supported by the US Department of Justice.
A 2023 Justice Department inspector general report documented multiple failures by prison staff and administrators but concluded that Epstein died by suicide and found no evidence of foul play.
‘Allow me to heal and move on’
In closing remarks, Noel reportedly pleaded for an end to the scrutiny that has followed her since Epstein’s death.
“I would like to ask the world to allow me to heal and move on with my life. I’m not a criminal. I didn’t conspire to cause Mr. Epstein’s death. It is my desire to be left alone after all of today’s interview,” Noel said.
