Epstein victim who helped convict Ghislaine Maxwell dies of suspected overdose, but mother questions daughter's reported cause of death

Carolyn Andriano, a victim of Jeffrey Epstein's child sex trafficking ring who helped convict his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, died in May of a suspected accidental drug overdose, according to authorities. However, Andriano's mother has doubts about her reported cause of death, the Daily Beast reported.

Andriano, a 36-year-old mother of five, had relocated to North Carolina earlier this year with her children and husband, John Pitts. On May 23, Andriano was found unresponsive in a hotel room in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Mike Jachles, a police spokesperson, told the Daily Beast that Andriano died of an accidental drug overdose and that the investigation would be officially closed this week. According to her husband, Andriano had been using drugs. Pitts stated that he had attempted to administer CPR and "was given directions over the phone with 911," Jachles told the outlet.

A toxicology report obtained by the Daily Beast revealed that Andriano had methadone, fentanyl, and alprazolam, a generic name for Xanax, in her system.

Lewis Nelson, a professor and chair of the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School's Department of Emergency Medicine and director of the Division of Medical Toxicology, told the news outlet that combining alprazolam and fentanyl can be dangerous.

After reviewing the toxicology report, Nelson stated, "Her fentanyl use was very recent."

"My postulation is she is on methadone, takes a high dose, she took fentanyl, and she died quickly," he added.

Andriano claimed that when she was a child, Epstein molested her up to three times. She was one of four victims to testify against Maxwell in December 2021, ultimately aiding in her conviction.

She had previously testified to being addicted to "pain pills and cocaine." Andriano also claimed she was "allowed to do whatever I wanted" as a child because her mother, Dorothy Groenert, was "an alcoholic and a drug addict."

Groenert denied her daughter's claims, calling them "inaccurate."

"No, I was working. I was working to pay for my children. I didn't get any supplements. I had to work," Groenert previously testified.

Andriano received millions from Epstein settlement cases. Following her death, Groenert and Pitts are currently in a legal battle over Andriano's will, which was filed before her marriage. According to the will, Andriano's assets are to be distributed to Groenert and her two oldest children. Her husband and their three children are not included in the will.

Groenert is insisting that authorities keep the investigation into her daughter's death open. She told the Daily Beast that Andriano "was ecstatic" to begin her new chapter in North Carolina, and her death does not make sense.

"She was all set up for a whole new lifestyle," Groenert said. According to her mother, Andriano's death was shocking since she had recently celebrated being drug- and alcohol-free.

"Nobody's giving me any answers, and you know what? I'm over it," she said. "Because this is my daughter, and she deserves justice. She got to a point where she was turning her whole life around."

Pitts did not respond to a request for comment from the Daily Beast.

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