Modelling scout in Epstein scheme found dead in Paris suburb

Modelling scout Daniel Siad, who was linked with former sex‑trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, has been found dead at his home in Colombes, a north‑west suburb of Paris.

The Nanterre prosecutor’s office confirmed the death on Monday and said an investigation has been opened to determine cause, with an autopsy scheduled by the authorities.

Siad’s name appears repeatedly in the documents released by the United States government concerning Epstein, and he had denied knowing the extent of Epstein’s threat.

Epstein victim Anya – not her real name – previously told the BBC that Siad had introduced her to Epstein. She described him as essentially a professional trafficker and stated that the situation was a complete set‑up.

In one email to Epstein that came to light, Siad wrote in badly‑spelled English that he felt “like fisherman a time I cache quick a time no fish.”

During a BBC investigation published 18 July, Siad’s lawyer could not comment, but a recent CNN interview found Siad claiming he did not know the women were being abused, saying “I trusted him, I believed this guy is a professional person.”

Siad has faced several accusations of rape in France, with the first complaint filed in February. He denied wrongdoing in interviews and told BFMTV in May that he had never raped anyone.

Lawyers for a former model who filed the initial complaint expressed shock at Siad’s death, saying the loss “denies the victims a criminal trial” and that the Paris Public Prosecutor’s Office’s inaction “demonstrates contempt for sexual crime victims.”

Another former model who gave a deposition to police in June told the BBC that Siad’s death meant any information he might have had about Epstein was now lost, saying the lead had vanished into thin air and that the investigation could not recover it.

Anne‑Claire Le Jeune, representing six women who had complained about Siad, said the victims were deprived of justice after the slow pace of the investigation led to Siad’s death before he could be questioned.

An associate of Epstein, French modelling agent Jean‑Luc Brunel, was found hanged in his Paris prison cell in 2022 after being held for over a year on suspicion of adolescent rape and child trafficking. Brunel founded MC2 Model Management with funding from Epstein and was suspected of transporting and housing young women for Epstein. Epstein himself died by suicide in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting a federal trial for sex trafficking.