New Mexico authorities search Jeffrey Epstein’s former ranch following new allegations, including claims of buried bodies, as part of a reopened state investigation.
NEW MEXICO: Investigators in New Mexico began searching the former high-plains ranch of the late financier Jeffrey Epstein on Monday. State authorities said the search is based on new information from documents released by the U.S. Department of Justice in January.
The newly released documents include an accusation that Epstein ordered the bodies of two foreign girls to be buried in hills near the secluded property. The search follows New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torrez’s decision last month to reopen the investigation into Epstein’s alleged criminal activities at the ranch.
“The New Mexico Department of Justice will continue to keep the public appropriately informed, support the survivors, and follow the facts wherever they lead,” the department said in a statement. The ranch is located 30 miles south of the state’s capital, Santa Fe.
A Reuters witness reported hearing dogs barking and seeing a government vehicle with a paw-print symbol leave the property on Monday. State police and a county fire and rescue vehicle were also spotted at the scene.
New Mexico had closed its previous Epstein investigation in 2019 at the request of federal authorities. There has never been a full investigation of the alleged assaults by Epstein, his partner Ghislaine Maxwell, and visitors to the ranch.
Last month, New Mexico became the first U.S. state to launch a legislative “truth commission”. This aims to uncover possible public corruption that allowed Epstein to operate at the ranch for 26 years before his death.
Epstein’s estate sold the property in 2023 to Texas businessman Don Huffines, who renamed it San Rafael Ranch. The new owners are cooperating with the investigation and granted access for the search.
The release of millions more files on January 30 exposed Epstein’s social connections with politicians, business people, and scientists. Reuters/Ipsos polling shows most Americans view the Epstein case as an example of wealthy and powerful people rarely being held accountable.
The Sun Malaysia
