BS BRIEF:
- French authorities confirmed model recruiter Daniel Siad was found dead Monday at his home in Colombes, outside Paris, and have opened an investigation into the cause of death. An autopsy has been ordered.
- Siad’s name appeared thousands of times in U.S. Justice Department files tied to Jeffrey Epstein, and he was under investigation in France over separate allegations of rape and human trafficking, all of which he denied.
- Siad’s death comes before French investigators had the opportunity to question him about allegations surrounding Epstein’s recruitment network, leaving victims concerned that key information may never be recovered.
EPSTEIN ASSOCIATE DANIEL SIAD FOUND DEAD AS FRENCH INVESTIGATION CONTINUES
A longtime model recruiter linked to Jeffrey Epstein has been found dead at his home outside Paris, adding another unexpected chapter to the sprawling investigation surrounding the late financier’s international network of associates.
French prosecutors confirmed Wednesday that Daniel Siad, 69, was discovered Monday evening at his residence in Colombes, a suburb northwest of Paris. The Nanterre prosecutor’s office said an investigation has been opened to determine the cause of death and that an autopsy will be performed. Authorities have not announced a cause of death or suggested any evidence of foul play.
Siad became a focus of renewed public attention after thousands of Justice Department documents released earlier this year showed his name appearing repeatedly in files connected to Epstein. The documents include years of email exchanges in which Siad introduced aspiring models and young women to Epstein for what he described as modeling opportunities or employment.
In a recent interview with CNN, Siad denied ever knowingly helping Epstein exploit women.
“I trusted him and believed this guy was a professional person,” Siad said.
He continued:
“I never heard anything from anyone I introduced to him who came back to me that they had a bad situation. I believed this guy is a professional person.”
However, DOJ records reviewed by multiple news organizations paint a broader picture of the relationship. According to those files, Siad continued communicating with Epstein well after Epstein’s 2008 conviction in Florida and reportedly sent photographs and descriptions of young women he encountered during his work as a model scout. In one 2015 email, Epstein reportedly responded to photographs of a 16-year-old and another girl by writing they were “too old.”
French authorities had also been conducting a separate investigation into allegations against Siad himself. At least five women accused him of rape and human trafficking, accusations he consistently denied. His attorney said Siad had never been formally charged and “never stopped proclaiming his innocence.” Reuters reported the attorney believes he suffered a heart attack, though officials have emphasized that the autopsy will determine the official cause of death.
One former model who has cooperated with investigators told the BBC that Siad’s death may leave important questions unanswered.
“An important link in the chain has just vanished into thin air, without there even having been a chance to recover the information Daniel Siad might have possessed.”
Siad’s death is the second involving a prominent Epstein associate in France. In 2022, modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel, who also denied allegations that he recruited women for Epstein, was found dead in his prison cell while awaiting trial. Epstein himself died in federal custody in New York in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges. His death was officially ruled a suicide.
With Siad now deceased, investigators say the French inquiry into the broader Epstein network will continue, though victims’ advocates have expressed concern that another witness with years of firsthand knowledge can no longer be questioned.
Investigators have made clear that the official cause of death has not yet been determined, and authorities have urged against speculation while the autopsy and death investigation proceed. At the same time, advocates for survivors say the loss of another individual closely connected to Epstein underscores how difficult it has become to fully reconstruct the network years after Epstein’s own death.
DBS WIRE SOURCES:
- Reuters – French modelling scout linked to Epstein found dead Read the story
- The Guardian – Model scout for Jeffrey Epstein found dead at his home near Paris Read the story
- CNN – Model recruiter who introduced young women to Jeffrey Epstein found dead in France Read the story
- The Wall Street Journal – Modeling Scout With Epstein Ties Found Dead Read the story
- New York Post – French modeling scout named 2,000 times in Epstein files found dead at home Read the story
