Question
How was the original 2005 complaint against Epstein first made to Palm Beach Police?
Answer
The Palm Beach Police investigation that led to the 2008 case against Epstein began in March 2005 with a report made by the mother of a 14-year-old girl.
According to reporting by the Miami Herald and court records, the mother discovered that her daughter had been receiving cash payments in connection with visits to a wealthy man’s home in Palm Beach. She contacted the Palm Beach Police Department, and the case was assigned to Detective Joseph Recarey.
Recarey began interviewing the initial victim, who identified Epstein’s Palm Beach estate at 358 El Brillo Way as the location where visits occurred. The victim described being recruited by an older girl who had told her she could make money giving massages to a wealthy man.
Expansion of the investigation: After the initial interview, Recarey began identifying other victims using the same recruitment pattern. By the time the investigation was completed, he had located more than 36 young women who described similar recruitment and abuse. Many were teenagers from the Palm Beach area; some had come from difficult home situations.
Referral to state attorney: After completing his investigation, Recarey presented the case to Pam Bondi’s state attorney’s office (under the supervision of State Attorney Barry Krischer). Krischer’s decision not to pursue serious charges prompted Police Chief Reiter to refer the case directly to the FBI.
The 2005 complaint was thus the starting point for what became a multi-decade accountability process, ultimately resulting in Maxwell’s 2021 conviction.
Sources
- Julie Brown, “Perversion of Justice,” Miami Herald, 2018
- Palm Beach Police Department case records
- Court records, SDFL