One of the most frequently mentioned names in the Jeffrey Epstein files has been found dead, adding another layer of mystery to a scandal that continues to raise questions years after the convicted sex trafficker’s death.
Daniel Siad, a model recruiter whose name appears roughly 2,000 times in the Justice Department’s Epstein files, was found dead Monday at his home in Colombes, a suburb of Paris.
French authorities say the circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear.
Marie-Céline Lawrysz, deputy public prosecutor for the Nanterre Judicial Court, confirmed that an investigation has been opened to determine the cause of death. An autopsy is expected.
Siad played a significant role in Epstein’s recruitment network, according to documents released by the Justice Department. The files show Epstein paid him tens of thousands of dollars while Siad introduced him to numerous young women over the years.
The records include messages that appear to show Siad actively scouting women for Epstein.
In one message, he wrote: “Cute French girl in Marrakesh… She said that she will (be) happy to meet you.”
Years after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for sex crimes, Siad was still corresponding with him.
In another exchange, Siad told Epstein he was looking for a “good looking young assistant.” He also sent photos of women he believed had “potential” to work as models or assistants.
Epstein’s response to one of those photos was just two words:
“Too old.”
Before his death, Siad insisted he had no idea the women he introduced to Epstein were allegedly being abused.
“I trusted him and believed this guy was a professional person,” Siad told CNN. “I never heard anything from anyone I introduced to him who came back to me that they had a bad situation.”
Others tell a very different story.
One woman interviewed by the BBC said Siad introduced her to Epstein and described the encounter as “a complete set-up.”
She called Siad “essentially a professional trafficker.”
Siad also faced allegations of his own. A model accused him of rape in France during the 1990s, though he denied the accusation.
His death has now left investigators without the opportunity to question someone who appeared to possess extensive firsthand knowledge of Epstein’s operation.
“An important link in the chain has just vanished into thin air,” one former model who recently gave a deposition to police about Epstein told the BBC.
“Too much time has been lost… and it is yet another way for the leads to go cold.”
Authorities have not indicated that Siad’s death is being treated as suspicious, nor have they released any findings about what happened.
Still, the death of a man whose name appears thousands of times in the Epstein files, and who allegedly helped connect young women to one of history’s most notorious sex traffickers, is certain to generate fresh scrutiny as investigators work to determine exactly how he died.
