A recently discovered body found in an extremely decomposed state in a Connecticut apartment likely belongs to Steven Hoffenberg, an associate of Jeffrey Epstein.
Police believe the body to be Hoffenberg, but have no way of knowing due to the extensive decomposition that makes fingerprint and visual identification impossible.
“Every single sign is pointing to it’s him. There’s nothing that says it’s not him right now. It’s just that we’re waiting on a positive identification,” Derby police said in an interview, adding that the body is “awaiting dental comparisons at the medical examiner’s office.”
Police wrote in a social media post that, at around 8 p.m. on Aug. 23 “Derby police officers responded to 201 Mount Pleasant Street in Derby, CT on a requested welfare check. On arrival the body of a white male was found deceased and in a state where a visual identification could not be made.”
“The body was transported to the office of the chief medical examiner (OCME) where an autopsy was performed on Wednesday, August 24,” the post continued. “The initial autopsy revealed no trauma sustained by the decedent. Official cause of death is pending further toxicology study. A subsequent dental record comparison is underway to make a positive identification and subsequent notifications to appropriate next of kin.”
Hoffenberg was imprisoned for 18 years for running a half-billion dollar Ponzi scheme. He claimed that Epstein was a coconspirator, and he filed several lawsuits against him after his release. Hoffenberg and Epstein became friends after a business acquaintance introduced them in the 1980s.
The New York Post reports that “While Hoffenberg sat locked up, Epstein was allegedly raping teenage girls with the help of his now-convicted madam, Ghislaine Maxwell.”
Hoffenberg was briefly the manager of The Post from January to March 1993, after the newspaper filed for bankruptcy. The news was announced with an iconic Post cover that said “Last-minute deal saves The Paper…Hoffenberg Saves The Post,” calling him the paper’s “white knight.”
However, his tenure as manager was short lived after staff rebelled against him and he was removed, placing the paper in the hands of Rupert Murdoch, who runs it today.
Scroll down to leave a comment and share your thoughts.