WHEN news broke that the millionaire accused of child sex-trafficking, Jeffrey Epstein, had been found dead by apparent suicide in his New York City jail cell, it didn’t take long for conspiracy theorists to pipe up accusing everyone from Bill Clinton to President Trump of having a hand in his death.

Concerns were raised that the flurry of whodunnit press reports and social media speculation could draw eyes away from the horrifying allegations that underage girls, some as young as 14, were passed around a ring of powerful men for their sexual gratification.

Epstein's death came a day after thousands of pages of court documents that listed fresh accusations were unsealed. These papers are also said to detail the people who assisted him with or partook in the financier’s alleged ring of abuse.

Who was Jeffrey Epstein?

A hedge fund manager with a predilection for teenage girls, Epstein started his career as a teacher before working on Wall Street where he made his millions.

Court documents described how Epstein allegedly groomed girls for rape and sexual abuse, recruiting the victims at schools or, as in one case, at Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump’s Florida resort.

The convicted sex offender was well-connected, famously partying with celebrities, presidents and princes.

Former friends President Trump, Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew distanced themselves from the 66-year-old after he pleaded guilty to prostitution charges involving a minor in 2008.

Epstein was arrested in July and pleaded not guilty to charges of drug trafficking and sexually abusing dozens of underage girls in New York and Florida.

What are conspiracists saying?

Shortly after the news of the death broke, social media users started posting hashtags to signpost the supposed perpetrators including #ClintonCrimeFamily and #TrumpBodyCount, referring to the ties both presidents had with Epstein.

Trump aide, Lynne Patton, an administrator at the Department of Housing, posted “Hillary’d” on her Instagram account along with a reference to a former Clinton official, Vince Foster, whose death by suicide in 1993 sparked conspiracy theories. Filmmaker and writer Michael Moore wrote on Twitter: “Malignant narcissists like Epstein - the last thing they do is get rid of the thing they LOVE the most: themselves.”

President Trump, in his infinite wisdom, shared two tweets suggesting the Clintons could have been involved in Epstein’s death.

So how did he die?

Epstein was found unresponsive in his jail cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center on Saturday morning. He was taken to hospital and later pronounced dead. US media reported that Epstein had been placed on suicide watch on July 23 after he was found nearly unconscious. News outlets speculated if the injuries he sustained were from a suicide attempt or an assault.

One law-enforcement official was quoted as saying that Epstein was supposed to be checked every 30 minutes but was not on the night he died. Other officials said his cellmate was transferred and not replaced, leaving him alone which was against the jail’s policy. Other reports claimed the facility was understaffed with guards working overtime.

Following an autopsy on Sunday, New York City’s chief medical examiner Dr Barbara Sampson said that the cause of death was “pending further investigation”

What does his death mean for his accusers?

It has sparked mixed feelings in his alleged victims - ranging from relief that he can’t harm again to rage that he won’t be held accountable for his actions. The federal investigation into allegations that he sexually abused and trafficked women and girls is ongoing.