Jean-Luc Brunel, a prominent modeling agent, and associate of child-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in a French jail cell Saturday morning.
He was under investigation for a range of charges similar to Epstein, including rape and trafficking of minors. As a frequent flyer on Epstein's plane logs, he was a central figure in the international exploitation.
At the time of his death, video cameras in Brunel's cell were not operating. This has raised suspicion regarding the circumstances of his death.
Former Dutch model, Thysia Huisman, was a victim of Brunel. She told the Associated Press,
It makes me angry, because I've been fighting for years. For me, the end of this was to be in court. And now that whole ending — which would help form closure — is taken away from me.
Another Epstein Victim, Virginia Giuffre, previously alleged that Brunel used the promises of his modeling agency to entice girls.
She claimed that Epstein said he “slept with thousands of Brunel's girls.” In a Tweet, Giuffre reflected on Brunel's death:
Last week, Giuffre reached an out-of-court settlement with Great Britain's Prince Andrew relating to his involvement with the Epstein scandal.
Ghislaine Maxwell, long-time girlfriend and confidant of Epstein, has all eyes on her after Brunel's death. Her family has expressed concern regarding her safety, especially amid her high-stakes case.
As of Sunday evening, the circumstances of Brunel's death have yet to be released, although hanging is suspected.
