Mystery 'orange shape spotted near Jeffrey Epstein's jail cell' before his death

A mysterious orange blob was captured on the surveillance footage of Jeffrey Epstein's prison cell from the night before his death.

Forensic experts are now questioning the official explanation of the strange shape after the federal government claimed it was a guard "carrying linen or inmate clothing". The shadowy object is seen moving up the stairs towards the paedo's cell block at New York's Metropolitan Correctional Center the night before he was found dead.

Forensics experts told CBS, the US station that reviewed the footage, that the pixelated blob could be an inmate wearing a jumpsuit. The same experts believe there are gaping holes in the report put forward by the Justice Department detailing how the convicted sex trafficker died.

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The FBI previously said that the surveillance cameras in the building would have made it impossible for someone to get past without being detected. However, the Department of Justice footage shows the staircase, and Epstein's cell entrance, is almost completely out of view.

Speaking to CBS, video forensic expert Jim Safford said: "To say that there’s no way that someone could get to that, the stairs up to his room, without being seen is false." His view echoed those of four other leading experts in the field.

It would appear that the supplied footage is not a raw file. A cursor and menu visible on the screen indicates that it was likely a screen recording. Just before midnight, the video feed skips a full minute as the aspect ratio shifts rapidly, CBS reports.

It has now emerged that a full version of the footage - including the missing minute - exists and is in the possession of federal investigators, MailOnline reports. It's not known why that portion was omitted from the version released earlier this month, or what exactly it contains, with no indication yet as to whether the Justice Department plans to release it to the public.

Responding to the theories raised by the station, the Office of the Inspector General said their conclusion into the sexual predator's death had not been changed by the recent analysis.

“Our comprehensive assessment of the circumstances over the weeks, days, and hours before Epstein’s death included the effects of the longstanding, chronic staffing crisis in the [Bureau of Prisons] and the BOP’s failure to provide and maintain quality camera coverage within its facilities,” a statement to the outlet read.

“As CBS notes, nothing in its analysis changed or modified the OIG’s conclusions or recommendations.”