McAfee Founder Wanted for Murder, Gone Into Hiding

Article by George Norman (Cybersecurity Editor)

on 13 Nov 2012

John McAfee, founder of security company McAfee, is wanted by the police for murder in Belize. The authorities are looking to question him in relation to the murder of American expatriate Gregory Faull, but the antivirus pioneer went into hiding.

Gregory Faull, 52-year old American expatriate originally from Florida and a well-liked builder as the police stated in a report, was gunned down (shot in the head) on Saturday at his home in San Pedro Town, Belize. John McAfee, the 67-year old founder of the world’s largest dedicated security technology company, is a prime suspect in the murder case because had been at odds with Faull for quite some time and because Faull had previously filled a formal complaint against McAfee.

It seems that McAfee and Faull were not the best of neighbors – as previously mentioned they had been at odds for some time. A few days before being shot in the head in his home, Faull had filed a formal complain against the antivirus pioneer stating that McAfee fired off guns and exhibited “roguish behavior” – the whole thing started as a quarrel about dogs. Since the complaint was filled on Wednesday and Faull was murdered on Saturday, the police are trying to find McAfee and question him – but they are unable to locate him.

When the police searched McAfee’s property looking for him, they could not find him because he hid by burying himself in the sand with a cardboard box over his head so he could breathe. In an exclusive interview for Wired he said that it was extraordinarily uncomfortable and that “they will kill me if they find me.” McAfee said that he doesn’t know anything about Faull’s murder, that he believes that whoever shot Faull was actually gunning for him, and that the authorities are looking to silence him because the government has a vendetta against him. So fearing for his life, McAfee went into hiding.

Earlier this year McAfee was arrested by the Belize authorities for possessing illegal firearms. At the time he said the charges were bogus and accused the police of killing his dog while the raid on his house took place. For the past few years, according to online reports, he has become increasingly erratic and estranged. He’s been experimenting with drugs, getting close to Belize gangsters, and getting in trouble with the police.

McAfee founded the McAfee security company in the late 1980s and retired in 1994. In 2010 McAfee was acquired by Intel.



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