In brief
Modeling scout Daniel Siad, 69, was found dead at his Colombes home on Monday, triggering a police inquiry into the cause of death and an upcoming autopsy. Siad’s name appears thousands of times in the U.S. government’s released Epstein files, and he has denied knowledge of Epstein’s threats. Victim testimonies highlight his role as a “professional trafficker” who introduced them to Epstein. His death has left officials and victims scrambling, with experts warning that valuable evidence now may be lost. The incident underscores the slow pace of the French investigation into Epstein’s accomplices and the broader reach of the sexual‑trafficking network.
Modeling scout Daniel Siad, 69, linked to Jeffrey Epstein, was found dead at his home in Colombes, a north‑west suburb of Paris, on Monday.
\Police confirmed the discovery and opened an investigation into the cause of death, with an autopsy scheduled to determine the exact circumstances.
\The case enters a murky history: Siad’s name appears in thousands of pages in the U.S. government’s Epstein files and has repeatedly denied any knowledge of Epstein’s threats. Victims claim he introduced them to Epstein and is “essentially a professional trafficker.”
\Siad’s own words, found in a released email, read: In This busyness I feel like fisherman some time I cache quick, some time no fish. He said in a CNN interview he did not know the women were abused, insisting he trusted Epstein as a “professional person.”
\Previous complaints in France allege rape and other misconduct, all of which Siad has denied. The lawyers representing former models that sued him said his death robbed them of the chance to recover crucial evidence that could shed light on Epstein’s network.
\The downturn of investigations has drawn criticism: a lawyer blamed the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office for “scandalous inaction,” claiming it demonstrates contempt for victims.
\Similar tragedies have marked the Epstein circle: 76‑year‑old model‑agent Jean‑Luc Brunel was found hanged in his Paris cell in 2022, and Epstein himself died by suicide in a Manhattan jail in 2019.
\For the victims, the loss of Siad’s testimony and any potential evidence are described as a “thin‑air” disappearance that thins the path toward justice.
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