A new investigation of the circumstances surrounding the death of Jeffrey Epstein has made public several new pieces of evidence, including photos of his jail cell showing a number of bed sheets, prescription medicine and an apparent note written by the convicted sex offender complaining about jail conditions before his death.

The paedophile financier was awaiting trial in New York’s Metropolitan Correctional Centre in downtown Manhattan when his body was found in his cell in August. The circumstances of his death, ruled a suicide by the New York medical examiner, have sparked considerable speculation, given the powerful company he kept that included Bill Clinton, Donald Trump and Prince Andrew.

The newly revealed letter, a photo of which was obtained during a months-long investigation by CBS News’ 60 Minutes, includes claims that the writer was locked in a shower for hours, sent burnt food and that “giant bugs” had crawled across his hand.

"Giant bugs crawling over my hands. No fun!!“ he apparently wrote, with a blue pen.

The investigation has also revealed photos showing the apparent noose used in Epstein’s hanging and photos of the jail cell where he died. Further photos from the autopsy show the man’s discoloured neck and torso.

Jeffrey Epstein: Controversies surrounding paedophile billionaire Show all 9 1 /9 Jeffrey Epstein: Controversies surrounding paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein: Controversies surrounding paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in court Billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein attends court as he pleads guilty to solicitation and procuring a person under the age of 18 for prostitution, 2008 Zuma/Rex Jeffrey Epstein: Controversies surrounding paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in court Billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to felony solicitation and procuring a person under the age of 18 for prostitution. He was sentenced to 18 months in jail. Epstein, allegedly paid several girls under the age of 18 in return for naked massages at his Palm Beach, Florida estate Zuma/Rex Jeffrey Epstein: Controversies surrounding paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein's car Jeffrey Epstein is whisked away from the Palm Beach County jail in a black car shortly after 6am on 22 July 2009. Epstein left the jail through the sally port, where prisoners are brought in, rather than through the main doors where prisoners are routinely released Zuma/Rex Jeffrey Epstein: Controversies surrounding paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein's mugshot Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein's mugshot, taken after he was indicted for soliciting a prostitute on 26 July 2006. Beginning in mid-March 2005, Epstein became the target of a sexual battery probe conducted by the Palm Beach Police Department, according to the affidavit, which alleges that Epstein paid a series of underage girls to engage in sexual activity with him. In a 2002 New York magazine profile of Epstein, Donald Trump called the moneyman a 'terrific guy' who 'likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side.' Epstein, who reportedly runs a multibillion-dollar investment fund, travels in his own Boeing 727 (upon which he has transported Bill Clinton to Africa) and owns a 45,000-square-foot mansion on Manhattan's Upper East Side Palm Beach County Sheriff's Department Jeffrey Epstein: Controversies surrounding paedophile billionaire Jack Goldberger, Jeffrey Epstein's attorney Jeffrey Epstein's attorney, Jack Goldberger, talks with reporters gathered outside the Palm Beach County jail on 22 July 2009 after Epstein was whisked away from the jail in a black car Zuma/Rex Jeffrey Epstein: Controversies surrounding paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein Florida Police department sexual offenders database picture of Jeffrey Epstein taken in 2013 Jeffrey Epstein: Controversies surrounding paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein's mansion His Palm Beach mansion in Florida Google Jeffrey Epstein: Controversies surrounding paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein's island The private Caribbean island, Little St James is part of the US Virgin Islands NBC News Jeffrey Epstein: Controversies surrounding paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein's island The private Caribbean island, Little St James is part of the US Virgin Islands NBC News

While the official ruling is that Epstein killed himself, forensic pathologist Dr Michael Baden — who was hired by Epstein’s brother, Mark — has said that it is concerning that there were no photos taken of the body while it was in the cell, and that knowing its position would be helpful to clarify certain questions.

Among those are where the noose was on the 66-year-old’s neck, as well as the way that lividity settled, which is how blood pools in a body after death.

“At this length of time, [we] still don’t have that information,” he told CBS. “So if this was called a suicide without all that information, it was a premature judgment.”

In previous interviews, Mr Baden has suggested that Epstein’s death may likely be a homicide, given what he called “unusual” activity surrounding his death.

During an interview with Fox News in October, Mr Baden said that he believes that the broken bones found in his neck are more consistent with strangulation than hanging. He was hired by Mark Epstein amid concerns that the convicted sex offender was killed because he had damaging information on powerful people, and that others with information might likewise be in danger as well.

“I think that the evidence points toward homicide rather than suicide,” Mr Baden said during the earlier interview.

He continued: “Hanging does not cause these broken bones and homicide does. A huge amount of pressure was applied.”