Case against Jeffrey Epstein dismissed following his death

FILE PHOTO: U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein appears in a photograph taken for the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services' sex offender registry March 28, 2017 and obtained by Reuters July 10, 2019. New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services/Handout/File Photo via REUTERS

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A federal judge on Thursday formally dismissed the criminal sex trafficking case against Jeffrey Epstein, a move that was expected following the financier’s death in jail earlier this month.

U.S. District Judge Richard Berman had said at a hearing on Tuesday that he was legally bound to dismiss the case. Prosecutors said at that hearing that an investigation into Epstein’s alleged crimes would continue, and that the dismissal would not prevent them from charging possible co-conspirators in the future.

Epstein’s lawyers could not immediately be reached for comment on Thursday.

Epstein, a wealthy 66-year-old money manager who once counted U.S. President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton and Britain’s Prince Andrew as friends, was arrested on July 6 and pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking charges involving dozens of girls as young as 14.

He was found dead in his Manhattan jail cell on Aug. 10, having been previously taken off suicide watch. A New York City medical examiner concluded that he had died of suicide by hanging.

Epstein’s lawyers said at Tuesday’s hearing that they had doubts about the examiner’s conclusion. The FBI is examining two cameras that were outside the cell that malfunctioned, a law enforcement source has told Reuters.

A source earlier told Reuters two jail guards had failed to follow a procedure overnight to make separate checks on all prisoners every 30 minutes.

Tuesday’s hearing featured emotional testimony from 16 women who said Epstein had abused them, many of whom lamented that he would never face justice in court.