Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Make a sustaining gift today to support local journalism!

John McAfee, Anti-Virus Pioneer, Says He's Innocent Of Murder

A Facebook page shows photos of John McAfee, the founder of the eponymous anti-virus company.
Karen Bleier
/
AFP/Getty Images
A Facebook page shows photos of John McAfee, the founder of the eponymous anti-virus company.

John McAfee, the anti-virus software pioneer, is saying that the government of Belize is out to get him.

Authorities in the Central American country said yesterday that McAfee was wanted for questioning in the shooting death of Gregory Faull, another expat living in Belize.

The Wall Street Journal reported:

"Police said that Mr. Faull, 52, was found dead by a housekeeper on Sunday morning in his home near San Pedro, an island near the Mexican border popular with foreign retirees. Mr. Faull, who was a neighbor of Mr. McAfee's, died of a gunshot wound to the head. Police suspect the case was a murder and say there were no signs of a forced entry, though Mr. Faull's phone and computer were found to be missing.

"Mr. McAfee couldn't be reached for comment Monday."

Today, Wired scored the first interview with the eccentric McAfee. In the interview, he said that police had poisoned his dogs and that he was in hiding.

"You can say I'm paranoid about it but they will kill me, there is no question," McAfee told Wired, which is running a feature story on him for the January issue. "They've been trying to get me for months. They want to silence me. I am not well liked by the prime minister. I am just a thorn in everybody's side."

The Wall Street Journal explains that Faull was McAfee's neighbor and that he had recently filed a complaint against McAfee, because he said McAfee's security guards were trespassing on his property.

CBS News reports that McAfee told The New York Times that he moved to Belize three years ago to lower his taxes.

Wired says authorities in Belize dismissed his concerns. They add that despite this incident, McAfee has no plans to leave.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Eyder Peralta is NPR's East Africa correspondent based in Nairobi, Kenya.

You make NHPR possible.

NHPR is nonprofit and independent. We rely on readers like you to support the local, national, and international coverage on this website. Your support makes this news available to everyone.

Give today. A monthly donation of $5 makes a real difference.