Ruslana Korshunova was 18 years old when she was flown on Epstein's private plane, Lolita Express, to his Little St. James Island in June 2006, Daily Mail reports. She had gained notoriety as a "catwalk superstar" signed to IMG Models and was featured in ads for Marc Jacobs, DKNY, Vera Wang and Nina Ricci perfume.
She was just 20 years old when she leaped from the ninth-floor balcony of her Manhattan apartment to her death after cutting a hole in the construction mesh covering the exterior.
It is unclear exactly what transpired during the model's trip to the island or even how she became connected to Epstein, but her name was listed on one of his flight logs along with his bodyguard, Igor Zinoviev, his personal chef, Lance Calloway, and his longtime assistant, Sarah Kellen.
That year was reportedly the "peak" of her modeling career. The winter of 2006, she was the cover girl for The New York Times style magazine.
While Kazakh-born Korshunova's visa status is not known, Epstein was known to promise help to young women in need of a visa. He was arrested for his child sex crimes just weeks after the model's trip to his island.
Shortly after her death, her ex-boyfriend told the New York Post that it seemed she was keeping issues "bottled up." Her mother said that her suicide was "completely unexpected."
Korshunova had sought the help of an "extreme self-help group" in Russia, Rose of the World, which is now largely known as a cult that dehumanizes its members, right before her suicide.
