“Disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein was found dead on Saturday after an apparent suicide in the New York jail cell where he was being held without bail on sex-trafficking charges.” Reuters

Both sides are frustrated that Epstein’s victims will not get their day in court:

“It is not an exaggeration to say that there are thousands of similar victims in America out there watching this case and wondering if they will be heard, believed and protected if they come forward. So ask yourself: How can we as a society ask them to stand up and speak out if we are willing to let a wealthy and connected alleged sex trafficker effectively evade justice by suicide? Many questions still remain about what happened in this case. But what is perfectly clear is that this should not — this cannot — be the end.”
Andrea Powell, NBC News

“Epstein’s victims, law enforcement and the public have now been deprived of the right to see him stand trial and be held accountable for the many crimes he is accused of committing. The women who said they were Epstein’s victims had a right to confront Epstein in court – both from the witness stand and during sentencing if he wound up being convicted… We can no longer levy any punishment against Epstein. But his victims deserve justice, and anyone who assisted him in his crimes deserves prosecution.”
Robert Bianchi, Fox News

They also condemn the urge to blame one’s political opponents for Epstein’s death:

“Mr. Epstein’s apparent suicide is, in many ways, the post-truth nightmare scenario. The sordid story contains almost all the hallmarks of stereotypical conspiratorial fodder: child sex-trafficking, powerful global political leaders, shadowy private jet flights, billionaires whose wealth cannot be explained. As a tale of corruption, it is so deeply intertwined with our current cultural and political rot that it feels, at times, almost too on-the-nose. The Epstein saga provides ammunition for everyone, leading one researcher to refer to Saturday’s news as the ‘Disinformation World Cup’…

“Saturday’s online toxicity may have felt novel, but it’s part of a familiar cycle: What cannot be easily explained is answered by convenient untruths. The worst voices are rewarded for growing louder and gain outsize influence directing narratives. With each cycle, the outrage and contempt for the other builds. Each extreme becomes certain its enemy has manipulated public perception; each side is the victim, but each is also, inexplicably, winning. The poison spreads.”
Charlie Warzel, New York Times

“The one thing that both sides seem to agree on is that they believe the other side to be capable of anything, including murder. In an already tense political situation, spreading conspiracy theories only serves to further inflame political passions. We should all sit back, take a deep breath, and wait for the facts before we make up our minds rather than squaring facts with what we want to believe.”
David Thornton, The Resurgent

Sen Marco Rubio (R-FL) tweeted, “Scrutiny of how #Epstein was able to commit suicide is warranted. But the immediate rush to spread conspiracy theories about someone on the ‘other side’ of partisan divide having him killed illustrates why our society is so vulnerable to foreign disinformation & influence efforts.”
Marco Rubio, Twitter‍

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Finally, many are skeptical about the prison system in general:

“You don’t have to believe in conspiracy to question the competence of the Federal Bureau of Prisons… The death by apparent suicide of the politically connected financier couldn’t have been scripted better to undermine trust in law enforcement and the prison and legal systems… Mr. Barr has asked the Justice Department inspector general and the FBI to investigate, and the results need to be made public for the sake of public confidence.”
Editorial Board, Wall Street Journal

“Having dealt with BOP for many years, I believe Epstein's suicide could have been prevented had prison officials followed the policies and protocols in place for at-risk inmates. But I don't think that means that the prison guards or staff intentionally looked the other way while Epstein killed himself. In my practice, I have often been frustrated by the incompetence of certain BOP correctional officers and management. While it is possible something more nefarious was at play, I think it is much more likely that Epstein's suicide was the result of negligence and not some grand conspiracy.”
Page Pate, CNN

“If you are shocked by a jail suicide you aren’t paying attention to the grim conditions of incarceration in America… inmate suicides are such a regular part of life in American prisons and jails that none of us should be surprised whenever they occur. They are the leading cause of death behind bars, and have been for many years, and the problem seems to be getting worse. The latest statistics, from 2014, tell us the rate of suicides in jails was the highest it’s been since at least 2000… The only real conspiracy here is the ageless one between and among prison guards and jail officials who too often treat at-risk inmates with callous disregard and deliberate indifference.”
Andrew Cohen, New Republic

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Other opinions below.