Buzzfeed is reporting that news, including specific details, of Jeffrey Epstein‘s death were posted to the notorious message board 4Chan, about 38 minutes before any news outlet reported the convicted sex offender’s alleged suicide.
“Less than 40 minutes before ABC News first reported Epstein’s death on Twitter, someone posted still-unverified details on 4chan, the anonymous message board popular with far-right trolls and white nationalists,” Buzzfeed says. They add that the NYC Fire Dept. is investigating to determine if a first responder might have leaked the information, which might be a violation of HIPPA laws.
“[D]ont ask me how I know, but Epstein died an hour ago from hanging, cardiac arrest. Screencap this,” read the post, which was published at 8:16 AM alongside an image of Pepe, the green frog that has become a mascot for the right-wing internet trolls.
That post was 38 minutes before the first tweet about Epstein’s death from Aaron Katersky, an ABC News reporter, at 8:54 AM. Five minutes later, the main ABC News account tweeted an article about Epstein’s death.
The entire report can be read here.
UPDATE: 12:57 PM ET –
Buzzfeed updates to add: “Shortly after telling BuzzFeed News the post was ‘under review,’ an FDNY spokesperson said authorities ‘determined this alleged information did not come from the Fire Department.’ The spokesman didn’t elaborate on how that determination was made.”