Joseph "Joe" Recarey was a decorated Palm Beach Police Department detective who served as the lead investigator in the 2005-2006 criminal investigation into Jeffrey Epstein. His meticulous work documented dozens of underage victims and built a comprehensive case that should have resulted in serious federal charges. Recarey retired from the police force in 2013 after 23 years of service and died in May 2018 at age 50.

Between March 2005 and October 2005, Recarey identified 21 possible victims, expanding to approximately 35 by the time police completed their investigation. In October 2005, Recarey executed a search warrant at Epstein's Palm Beach mansion, uncovering photographs of young girls and evidence of abuse. His investigation documented a pattern of recruitment where teenage girls from working-class backgrounds were brought to Epstein's mansion, often by other teenagers, and paid for sexual contact. Despite the strength of his investigation, prosecutors declined to pursue the evidence aggressively, and Epstein received a controversial plea deal.

Recarey was one of Palm Beach's most decorated officers with 11-time Officer of the Month honors and 80 commendations over his 23-year career. His death came just over a year before Epstein's July 2019 re-arrest vindicated the work he had done more than a decade earlier.

Sources

Palm Beach Daily News, "Decorated former Palm Beach detective dies at 50" (June 1, 2018); Miami Herald, Julie K. Brown, "Cops worked to put serial sex abuser in prison" (November 28, 2018)