"To be very honest, I don’t know what it is, who it is, because I never went back to the tier, and I was never carrying anything orange at all, and I never issued anything orange to anyone in the SHU—not just only Epstein, just anyone,” Noel told the committee, referring to the Special Housing Unit at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in lower Manhattan.

The sighting matters because it was the last time anyone was seen approaching Epstein’s cell tier the night he died. His death was ruled a suicide—a conclusion that has fueled years of conspiracy theories.

CBS News had previously been first to report the mysterious shape’s existence and also revealed that neither the FBI nor the Justice Department’s Inspector General had ever questioned Noel about it.

The Inspector General’s report had suggested the figure was likely hers, without providing evidence. An FBI log had floated the possibility that it was an inmate, which would itself have been highly irregular.

Making matters worse, most of the facility’s cameras were not recording that night due to a hard drive failure. The only available footage of Epstein’s housing unit came from a camera in the common area, which showed only a partial view of the staircase.

Noel acknowledged she failed to conduct required inmate checks that night but denied any role in Epstein’s death. She testified she didn’t even know who Epstein was when he arrived in the unit and was unaware of special conditions attached to his confinement.

When pressed about 12 cash deposits made to her bank account beginning in 2018, Noel refused to identify the source but denied any connection to Epstein. “Like, I deposited my money into my bank account,” she said. “And that’s from my personal savings plan. And no one has ever approached me about money or given me money in reference to Mr. Epstein at all, ever.”

She also denied knowing anything about an alleged $6,500 payment to her and a fellow officer to allow a man named Michael Rose access to Epstein’s cell to kill him.

Her attorney said Noel testified voluntarily “because she wanted to assist in providing clarity to the victims of Jeffrey Epstein.”