Evidence-First Research Platform Government Transparency · Document Preservation

Investigation Timeline

Key events from the first police tip to current DOJ disclosures preserved by DocketZero.

Updated Mar 16, 2026
2005

First Police Report

Palm Beach Police Department opens an investigation after a parent reports that Epstein paid her 14-year-old daughter for a massage at his Palm Beach mansion.

2007

Non-Prosecution Agreement

Federal prosecutors led by then U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta negotiate a secret non-prosecution agreement, shielding Epstein from federal sex trafficking charges; victims were not notified.

2008

State Guilty Plea

Epstein pleads guilty to two Florida state charges; serves 13 months with work release privileges.

2018–2019

Miami Herald Investigation

Julie K. Brown publishes “Perversion of Justice,” reigniting public and federal interest.

Jul 2019

Federal Arrest — SDNY

Epstein is arrested at Teterboro Airport by the FBI on federal sex trafficking charges.

Aug 2019

Death in Custody

Epstein is found dead in his MCC cell; ruled suicide; scrutiny follows regarding oversight failures.

Dec 2021

Maxwell Conviction

Ghislaine Maxwell is convicted on five counts including sex trafficking of a minor; sentenced to 20 years in June 2022.

2025–2026

DOJ Document Disclosures — EFTA

Department of Justice releases 12 datasets under the Epstein Files Transparency Act. DocketZero aggregates and indexes the releases as they become available.

Dec 2025

DOJ publishes datasets 1-8

The first eight Epstein Files datasets are posted under the public EFTA release.

Jan 2026

DOJ publishes datasets 9-12

The release expands to the full twelve-dataset public archive.

Feb 11, 2026

Bondi faces questions at House Judiciary hearing

Attorney General Pam Bondi appears before the House Judiciary Committee for a contentious Justice Department oversight hearing that includes pointed questions about the Jeffrey Epstein investigation and files release.

Feb 2026

Deletions and alterations observed

Independent review begins documenting files returning 404 and documents modified after publication.

2026

DocketZero preserves the public release set

DocketZero secures an independent copy of the release so the public record remains available even as source files disappear.

Mar 17, 2026

House Oversight subpoenas Pam Bondi

The House Oversight Committee subpoenas Attorney General Pam Bondi over the Department of Justice's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation and the release of related files.

Mar 18, 2026

Bondi appears in House Oversight briefing

Bondi and Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche appear in a closed-door House Oversight briefing on the Epstein files, but the session draws criticism after members say Bondi would not commit to sworn testimony.