Det. Joseph Recarey

Detective Joseph Recarey described in sworn statements and his probable cause affidavit how the Palm Beach Police Department investigation into Jeffrey Epstein began in March 2005 when a woman reported that her 14-year-old stepdaughter had been taken to Epstein’s Palm Beach mansion and paid $300 for a sexual encounter.

Recarey interviewed dozens of young women and girls who had visited the mansion. His investigation identified at least 34 confirmed underage victims. He described a consistent pattern across all the accounts: girls were recruited by other girls with the promise of easy money for “massages,” brought to the El Brillo Way mansion, led upstairs, and sexually abused by Epstein.

The detective described the physical layout of the mansion in detail: the massage table, the photographs of nude and semi-nude young women on the walls, and the sex toys found throughout the upper floors. A search of the property recovered thousands of photographs.

Recarey testified that the investigation revealed a highly organized operation. Sarah Kellen scheduled the appointments. Haley Robson and others recruited the girls. Ghislaine Maxwell oversaw the broader operation. Epstein’s staff were trained to maintain absolute secrecy.

Detective Recarey prepared a probable cause affidavit supporting multiple felony charges against Epstein. The Palm Beach Police Department referred the case to the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. Recarey was later quoted expressing his frustration that the federal investigation resulted in the lenient Non-Prosecution Agreement rather than the serious felony prosecution his evidence supported.

Recarey’s investigative work, conducted with limited resources against a defendant with vast wealth and powerful attorneys, was later described by journalists and attorneys as one of the most thorough and courageous local law enforcement efforts in the case. He died on May 1, 2018, at age 50, before the case was re-opened at the federal level.