Epstein's dark dream of spreading his DNA may outlive him: new files

Newly released files reveal that Jeffrey Epstein quietly banked his sperm for years before his 2019 death and explicitly arranged for it to remain preserved rather than be destroyed if he died — raising urgent legal and ethical questions that remain unanswered.

Documents in the Department of Justice files show the late sex offender deposited sperm with California Cryobank before October 2012 and signed a renewed storage contract in May 2016, and that contract stipulated that upon his death, the samples would fall under the control of his estate or a legal representative, reported the New York Times.

The current whereabouts of the samples are unclear. CooperCompanies, which acquired California Cryobank in 2021, stated only that the bank "does not currently store any samples associated with Jeffrey Epstein," declining to elaborate. Epstein's estate has not responded to requests for comment.

The revelation takes on a darker dimension given statements from people close to Epstein, who said he harbored ambitions of spreading his DNA widely by impregnating women at his New Mexico ranch.

Medical records in the files show he was treated for low testosterone and was prescribed Clomid, a drug that can boost sperm count, suggesting a preoccupation with his fertility in the years before his death.

Legal experts say jurisdiction over the samples would likely fall under U.S. Virgin Islands law, where Epstein's estate is being administered. His trust document makes no specific mention of the banked sperm, leaving its fate legally ambiguous.

Bioethics scholars are divided over whether sperm banks should have accepted samples from a convicted sex offender in the first place — a debate the files have now thrust back into the spotlight.

Epstein died by suicide in a Manhattan jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges.