Modelling scout linked to Epstein found dead in Paris suburbs - BBC

What the report says

BBC News reports that Daniel Siad, a 69-year-old modelling scout whose name appeared repeatedly in U.S.-released Jeffrey Epstein files, has been found dead at his home in Colombes, a suburb northwest of Paris. The Nanterre prosecutor’s office said he was discovered on Monday and that an inquiry into the cause of death had begun, with a post-mortem examination planned.

According to the BBC, Siad had denied knowing that Epstein posed a danger to women and denied wrongdoing in recent media interviews. He had faced several complaints in France, including rape allegations, but his lawyer Ménya Arab-Tigrine said he had “never been prosecuted” and maintained his innocence. The Paris prosecutor’s office said an investigation opened on 18 February 2026 into organised human trafficking and criminal conspiracy would continue to identify any other people potentially involved, while noting that surveillance of Siad had not produced enough evidence to justify immediate arrest.

The BBC reported that women and lawyers connected to the complaints expressed anger and disappointment, saying alleged victims had now lost the possibility of a criminal trial or questioning of Siad. One woman previously told the BBC that Siad had introduced her to Epstein; Siad, in a CNN interview cited by the BBC, said he believed Epstein was a professional and did not know women were being abused.

The case is significant because it touches on unresolved questions about Epstein’s network in France. Another French modelling figure linked to Epstein, Jean-Luc Brunel, died in a Paris prison cell in 2022 while under investigation; he denied wrongdoing. Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges.