Daniel Siad, a 69-year-old modelling scout who recruited women for Jeffrey Epstein, has been found dead at his home near Paris, French authorities confirmed. The discovery marks a sudden end to an investigation into his role in one of the financier's most extensive networks of collaborators.
Siad was under active investigation by French prosecutors specializing in human trafficking, facing accusations of rape and related charges. His name surfaced in more than 1,000 documents from the declassified US Department of Justice Epstein files released earlier this year. An autopsy has been ordered to determine the cause of death. He was discovered Monday evening at his residence.
The Paris-based scout operated as one of Epstein's most prolific recruiters, traveling extensively across Eastern Europe, Cuba, and Scandinavia in search of women he could present as potential models. The work was lucrative: Epstein wired him payments regularly, ostensibly covering travel expenses. Siad's emails to Epstein reveal the systematic nature of the operation. In 2009, he wrote to Epstein that Slovakia held particular promise, promising to visit 45 women there while scouting "small villages" in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary. "I will make you a great surprise when you come to Paris," he assured the financier.
Years later, Siad continued the same pitch. From Barcelona in 2016, he reached out with: "Call me if you have time I am in Barcelona. With amazing Beauty." Epstein's responses were typically terse, asking simply "wht about new girls?" or "Any news." When presented with candidates, he requested minimal information: "age?" Siad made a point of emphasizing youth. "26 but she look 18," he wrote of one prospect.
Siad also worked as a commission-based scout for Jean-Luc Brunel, a prominent modeling agent who operated across Paris, New York, and Miami for over four decades. Brunel died by suicide in prison in February 2022 while awaiting trial on charges of rape of minors and sexual harassment, which he had denied.
When contacted by journalists in February, Siad maintained that his work was entirely legitimate. He claimed Epstein hosted casting sessions in a Paris apartment for modeling opportunities with Victoria's Secret and MC2, and that he always left immediately with the women after brief 10-minute meetings. "The casting time would not last more than 10 minutes. I always left the place with the models immediately," he stated.
That defense collapsed under new allegations. Swedish model Ebba Karlsson came forward earlier this year accusing Siad of rape, alleging he had scouted her in Stockholm in 1990 when she was 20 years old, then assaulted her in France. Karlsson did not interact with Epstein but identified Siad only after seeing his image in news coverage of the declassified files. She filed criminal charges in Paris for both rape and human trafficking. Siad's lawyer, Ménya Arab-Tigrine, denied the allegation on his behalf.
Karlsson expressed frustration upon learning of Siad's death. "It's very frustrating," she told AFP. "He was very close to be arrested. We worked so hard for this, trying to have justice."
Notably, Siad had not yet been questioned by investigators before his death. The FBI had been tipped off about his work for Epstein in 2016, according to the declassified documents. Earlier this year, French prosecutors announced they were assembling a specialized team to analyze evidence from the files, which reference multiple French nationals involved in Epstein's operations.
In a television interview months before his death, Siad insisted he bore no responsibility. "With time, one discovers that this individual committed atrocities, fortunately, I never introduced him to any minor or non-minor who was abused. I have nothing to reproach myself for," he said, describing himself as French-born of Algerian origin with Swedish citizenship.
Author James Rodriguez: "Siad's death removes a potential witness at precisely the moment French investigators were closing in, raising hard questions about what accountability looks like when key figures disappear before prosecution can begin."
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