Virginia Giuffre's lawyer raised new doubts Monday about the circumstances surrounding the death of the 41-year-old Epstein accuser, suggesting her death may not have been a straightforward suicide and that "big question marks" remain.
Karrie Louden, who had represented Giuffre since January, said she was stunned by news of her client's death on April 24 at her farmhouse in Neergabby, Western Australia. "When I got the phone call, I was like, 'Are you joking?' Because there was no sign that that was something she was considering," Louden told The Sun.
Giuffre, who accused Prince Andrew of sexual assault when she was 17 after being allegedly trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, had recently posted on social media that she had only "days to live" following a March traffic accident. Authorities later classified the incident as a "minor crash" with no injuries reported.
Speaking outside Giuffre's home on Monday, Louden said, "There's suicide and then there's misadventure," adding, "I'm not going to speculate whether it was suicide or accidental." She further stated, "It's inconclusive... I didn't see her in the room. I wasn't in there. The family said what the family has said but I'm not going to speculate."
Authorities in Western Australia have not confirmed a cause of death. Louden said she was unaware of whether a suicide note had been found and emphasized, "Given the recent activities, it's very likely that we will never know." A full coroner's report could take up to two years, according to Louden.
Giuffre's family confirmed her death over the weekend, stating, "Virginia Giuffre lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking. Despite all the adversity she faced in her life, she shone so bright. She will be missed beyond measure."
Louden stressed that Giuffre had been making plans for the future, including renovating her home. "She was in a lot of pain but she was looking forward to things in the future," Louden said.
The doubts surrounding Giuffre's death come just weeks after her credibility was questioned publicly. In late March, Giuffre had claimed she was close to death after a hospital stay related to the traffic incident, a claim later contradicted by local authorities. "Physically, she's been very unwell for a long time. But she's a very strong person. She's obviously been through hell," Louden noted.
Giuffre's civil lawsuit against Prince Andrew resulted in a multimillion-dollar settlement in 2022, although the Duke of York has consistently denied the allegations. Andrew's hopes for a return to royal duties have reportedly been extinguished following Giuffre's death, amid renewed scrutiny over his ties to the Epstein scandal.
