One of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims has died of an apparent accidental overdose, but her mother wants police to dig deeper.
Carolyn Andriano’s testimony was instrumental in convicting the sex trafficker’s partner, Ghislaine Maxwell, behind bars, and the 36-year-old mother of five was in the process of starting a new life for herself in North Carolina, The Daily Beast reports. Located on a half-acre lot, her fresh start included a fireplace and a chicken coop. Andriano and her husband, John Pitts, bought the place “just weeks before she was found unresponsive in a West Palm Beach hotel room on May 23.”
“There was no obituary or funeral service after she died earlier this year, and police in West Palm Beach, Florida, opened an investigation into her death,” according to the outlet. “After The Daily Beast reached out for comment, police spokesman Mike Jachles told us that the investigation was concluding and that Carolyn died of an accidental overdose.”
‘Accidental Overdose’
Carolyn Andriano was a victim of sex-trafficking and her testimony was key in putting Ghislaine Maxwell behind bars.
There was no funeral service and police in Florida have already concluded their investigation investigation. pic.twitter.com/xmA5WVoftJ
— Alix (@AlixG_2) October 15, 2023
Andriano’s mother, Dorothy Groenert, said her daughter “was ecstatic” before her death. “She was all set up for a whole new lifestyle.”
Andriano had shared her excitement over her fresh start with her mom, texting her about finding freedom from drugs and alcohol.
The circumstances surrounding her death don’t add up, according to Groenert, and she wants the police to keep investigating.
However, Pitts had told officers on the scene that Andriano had been using drugs. He attempted CPR on his wife and “was given directions over the phone with 911,” Jachles said.
Police also took a statement from Andriano’s brother, who rushed to the hotel upon learning, via a text from Pitts to Groenert, that his sister had died.
But Groenert insists the investigation “shouldn’t be closed.”
“I begged them,” she told The Daily Beast. “I sent them numerous messages. I’ve asked for them to make meetings, contact me, and to no avail.”
Groenert and Pitts are now fighting over Andriano’s will and the millions she received from Epstein-related settlements.
Andriano filed her will in 2010, before she married Pitts. In it, she left her estate to her mother and her two oldest children. The younger three kids Andriano shared with Pitts were left out, as the will had never been updated.
According to The Daily Beast, “probate court documents indicate [Andriano] had $183,000 in a bank account. The filings also listed unknown assets as the JPMorgan and Deutsche Bank class action settlements—which, as The Daily Beast reported, amount to $290 million and $75 million, respectively, and will result in big payouts to victims.”
When the outlet contacted Pitts for a comment, he told the reporter, “Don’t call me again. You got the wrong John.”
He has, however, posted tributes to Andriano on Facebook, writing in June, “you showed me what love really is and i will never forget how big your heart is. i know our souls will always be attached together.”
“i will do right by you because i know what u really wanted in life to give our kids the life we never had…” he continued. “i miss u so much no words can say just know i will give our kids the best life that i can…”
Pitts sister, Serena, told The Daily Beast that the idea that Andriano’s death was suspicious is “ridiculous.”
“Right now, our family is grieving the loss of Carolyn and prioritizing the care of her children,” she said in a text. “At this time we kindly appreciate space and privacy.”
According to a toxicology report obtained by The Daily Beast, Andriano had “methadone, fentanyl, and alprazolam (the generic name for Xanax) in her system when she died.”
Both alprazolam and fentanyl suppress breathing, explained Lewis Nelson, professor and chair of the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School’s Department of Emergency Medicine and Director of the Division of Medical Toxicology.
Nelson independently reviewed Andriano’s toxicology report.
“Her fentanyl use was very recent,” he said. “My postulation is she is on methadone, takes a high dose, she took fentanyl, and she died quickly.”
“The low levels of a metabolite of fentanyl, Nelson added, suggest that Carolyn died before her body had time to metabolize the drug,” The Daily Beast reports. “Bloodwork, however, doesn’t usually paint a picture of how often someone uses a substance.”
Pitts, in August, filed a motion in Onslow County, North Carolina, to vacate Andriano’s 2010 will, alleging that Andriano had “requested said will be revoked.”
The Daily Beast reports:
In the court record, Pitts accused Carolyn’s executor, Michael Danchuk, of falsely claiming that Carolyn was not married and had no children after the 2010 will. He’s also trying to move the probate case from North Carolina to Palm Beach County, Florida, where Groenert and Carolyn’s oldest son filed a motion to dismiss Pitts’ petition for administration.
According to Pitts’ petition for administration filed in Palm Beach County, Carolyn “parted ways” with Danchuk “during her lifetime and is believed to have instructed him to revoke the Purported Will.” The document accused Danchuk of handling Carolyn’s “previous substantial settlement funds under unknown pretenses” and claimed he “may have received substantial fees or otherwise diverted funds.”
Carolyn’s estate is expected to receive at least two “substantial settlement payouts from Jeffrey Epstein funds in the near future,” the petition stated, “and it is anticipated that additional class-action lawsuits paid to [her] estate will be forthcoming.”
Danchuk, a law firm consultant, has known Andriano since she sued Epstein in 2008.
“I’m actually the person that Carolyn asked to stand in for her father when she got married to John, so obviously, it [John’s claims] does not make me very happy,” he said. “There were no funds diverted. That’s obviously ridiculous.”
“I’m simply the administrator, executor, and I intend to pursue this as Carolyn asked me to do this a long time ago,” he explained. “I never expected her to pass away before me.”
The article goes on to describe the state of the hotel room in which Andriano died, including the crack pipes, needle, and baggie covered with a powdery substance found in Andriano’s purse and the “enormous amount of vodka bottles,” despite no alcohol being found in Andriano’s system.
Meanwhile, Groenert is also fighting to see her younger grandchildren, who are now being cared for by Pitts’ sister.
“Carolyn and his sister hated each other,” she said. “There was no love there.”
“My daughter was wonderful,” Groenert said. “My daughter was the most loving, kindhearted person. She trusted everybody. And anybody could say anything negative about anybody but my daughter: she was taught to always find a positive.”
“Nobody’s giving me any answers, and you know what? I’m over it,” she added. “Because this is my daughter, and she deserves justice. She got to a point where she was turning her whole life around.”
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
Melissa Fine is the former executive editor of Casino Player, Strictly Slots, and Poker
Digest magazines. She is a UCLA graduate, news junkie, and dedicated Stargate SG-
1 fan. Melissa currently lives with her dog and two cats in a tiny town in the Sierra
Nevada foothills.
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