A modelling scout with documented ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was discovered deceased at his residence in Colombes, a northwest suburb of Paris, on Monday. Daniel Siad, age 69, was the subject of an active investigation by French authorities examining potential involvement in human trafficking and organized criminal activity.
The Nanterre prosecutor’s office confirmed the death and announced that an investigation to determine the cause would proceed, with a post-mortem examination scheduled. Siad’s name appeared thousands of times in government-released files related to the Epstein case. The Paris prosecutor’s office stated that an investigation opened in February had employed surveillance techniques including telephone monitoring, but investigators determined the evidence gathered was insufficient to warrant his arrest.
Siad had faced multiple complaints in France, including allegations of rape, which he consistently denied in recent media appearances. His legal representative emphasized that he had never been formally prosecuted and maintained his innocence. In a CNN interview, Siad claimed he was unaware of any abuse and had trusted Epstein as a professional. Lawyers representing alleged victims expressed frustration that his death precluded a criminal trial, characterizing the prosecutor’s office handling of the case as inadequate and demonstrating disregard for victims of sexual crimes.
Two women with knowledge of the investigation indicated that Siad’s death eliminated a potentially important source of information about Epstein’s network and expressed concern about the slow pace of the investigation. The case follows a similar incident involving Jean-Luc Brunel, another Epstein associate, who was found hanged in his Paris prison cell in 2022 while under investigation for suspected rape and trafficking of minors. Epstein himself died by suicide in a New York detention facility in 2019 while awaiting federal trial on sex trafficking charges.
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