Investigators concluded that Noel and Thomas failed to perform the required checks on Epstein every 30 minutes during their overnight shift. Both guards admitted they had “willfully and knowingly” falsified official records indicating the checks had been completed.
Instead, prosecutors said the two spent their time browsing the internet and sleeping. At the time, then–U.S. Attorney General William Barr said he was deeply troubled that such a high-profile inmate could die while in federal custody. The case has continued to attract scrutiny in the years since.
The scrutiny surrounding Noel did not end with the investigation into Epstein’s death. In 2023, she was sued for assault at a new job in New York City.
According to the complaint, Noel allegedly punched a colleague and pulled the person’s ear during an incident at the workplace. The case added another chapter to the controversies that have followed her since the events surrounding Epstein’s death.
