Daniel Siad, the Franco-Algerian intermediary who recruited models for the American financier from the Catalan capital, has been found dead at his home in Paris. French authorities are investigating the causes.
Daniel Siad, the man who for years recruited young models from Barcelona for Jeffrey Epstein's network, was found dead on Monday at his home on the outskirts of Paris. He was 69 years old and was under investigation after appearing over 2,000 times in the declassified files of the Epstein case.
According to Le Parisien, it was his flatmate, a 28-year-old woman, who found him unconscious on the kitchen floor. The main hypothesis points to a cardiac arrest, although French authorities have opened an investigation to clarify the circumstances of his death.
Siad, a Franco-Algerian national, moved to Barcelona in 2017. From the Catalan capital, he carried out much of his activity as an intermediary for Epstein, as reflected in the emails and Skype conversations included in the U.S. investigation.
The documents declassified by the U.S. Department of Justice earlier this year reveal that Siad's name appeared over 2,000 times. They detail how he was responsible for locating young models and facilitating contact with the financier, who died in 2019 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking.
The messages show how he sought women, preferably under 25 years old, sent photographs and videos to Epstein, and organised meetings with candidates. In one email, Siad even stated that a potential candidate was "too old" because she was 26 years old.
The news of his death comes months after the Epstein case returned to the spotlight with the declassification of thousands of documents implicating numerous people in his circle. Siad was a key figure in the recruitment of victims from Europe, and his residence in Barcelona directly linked him to the Catalan capital.
The Barcelona City Council, consulted by this newspaper, has declined to make any statements. French judicial sources confirmed that an investigation has been opened to determine whether the death was natural or if there was third-party involvement.
Siad's death closes a chapter in Epstein's recruitment scheme but leaves many questions open about the network operating from Barcelona. U.S. authorities continue to investigate other collaborators of the financier.
For now, an autopsy is expected to determine the exact cause of death. The French investigation could shed light on the last weeks of Siad's life, who had remained in the background since the Epstein scandal erupted.
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