American Flags Lowered to Half-Staff on Jeffrey Epstein's Private Islands and the Internet Is Livid

Flags on islands belonging to Jeffrey Epstein were lowered to half-staff four days after his [...]

By Libby Birk

Flags on islands belonging to Jeffrey Epstein were lowered to half-staff four days after his jailhouse suicide, causing many to scratch their heads. A boat captain noticed that Little St. James, just off the southwest coast of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the neighboring Great St. James, both owned by Epstein, were sporting flags at half-staff.

"It was a real moment out there and if just felt so heavy," Captain Kelly Quinn, the owner of Salty Dog Day Sails, said to NBC News.

"I didn't feel there was a realness of the end of Jeffrey Epstein until I saw that. That was a lot more literal."

It wasn't clear who lowered the two flags on opposite ends of Little St. James, although Quinn is nearly certain it was one of the employees Epstein hired to staff the estate.

"They're doing it as a remembrance, but the irony is he'll only be remembered for the deviance," Quinn said.

Twitter was not happy with the development.

Epstein, a wealthy financier who was facing federal charges of sex trafficking and sexually abusing girls as young as 14 years old, was found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York City at 6:30 a.m. Saturday. Law enforcement sources say he appeared to have hanged himself but the medical examiner has yet to release an official cause of death.

On Wednesday, The Washington Post reported that a source said there were broken bones in Epstein's neck consistent to what would happen in the instance of hanging or strangling.

The flags on Little St. James were lowered two days after FBI agents were seen swarming the island and hauling evidence out of his 24,000 -square foot mansion.

Drone footage showed agents carrying multiple computers out of the residence as part of their ongoing investigation into Epstein's alleged sex trafficking network. Prosecutors announced hours after his death that the investigation into his possible co-conspirators would continue.

The 66-year-old was facing up to 45 years in prison if convicted on charges of sex trafficking and conspiracy.

He purchased Little St. James in 1998 for $7.95 million and went on to build a sprawling estate featuring a 24,000-square foot home, two pools, a spa and a bizarre structure that has fueled several online conspiracy theories. He bought Great St. James in 2016 for $22.5 million.

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