\

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.

\