One of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims, whose testimony helped convict Ghislaine Maxwell of sex trafficking, has died of a drug overdose.
Caroline Andriano, 36, was found dead at the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in West Palm Beach, Florida on May 23. A toxicology report found that she had methadone, fentanyl and alprazolam in her system at the time of her death, according to The Daily Beast.
Ms Andriano, a mother of five, was one of four Epstein victims who testified against Maxwell, 61, in Manhattan in 2021.
The British socialite was convicted of five charges, including sex trafficking of a minor and recruiting and grooming girls for sex with Epstein, then her boyfriend. Between 1994 and 2004.
Andriano, who waived anonymity after the trial, was 13 when she met another of Epstein’s victims, the former Virginia Giuffre Roberts, who she claims helped recruit her into the sexual abuse ring.
She told the jury that Maxwell and another accomplice would call her in several times a week to provide Epstein nude massages for $300.
Epstein He committed suicide in 2019 In a New York prison while awaiting federal trial Sex trafficking and conspiracy charges.
Jack Scarola, Ms Andriano’s former lawyer, told The Telegraph: “Caroline suffered serious consequences as a result of her experiences with Jeffrey Epstein, and there is no doubt that her inability to deal with her substance abuse problems was directly related to the experiences.” Which she had with Epstein.
Paying tribute to Ms Andriano on Monday, Ms Giuffre said: “My heart is heavy with the news of the loss of a beloved #Epstein survivor #GhislaineMaxwell.
“We were just kids when we met at a party. I’m so sorry, sister. You made the world a better place by being in it!”
It is understood Ms Andriano was staying at a West Palm Beach hotel with her family after selling their home.
Police investigating Andriano’s death said they expected to conclude this week that she died of an accidental overdose.
Her mother, Dorothy Grunert, called for further investigation into the circumstances of her daughter’s death. She said Ms Andriano was “ecstatic” to start a new life in North Carolina with her husband, John Bates.
Mr Bates’ sister, Serena, said suggestions that Ms Andriano’s death was suspicious were “ridiculous”.
In 2017, Epstein’s victim, Lee Patrick, died of an accidental drug overdose in a Florida hotel.
