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McAfee's Widow Wants 'Thorough Investigation,' Says Last Words 'Not Words of Somebody Suicidal'

Rebecca Downs
Rebecca Downs  |  June 25, 2021 9:00 PM

As was recently reported, John McAfee, founder of the antivirus software program, was found dead inside of a Spanish prison on Wednesday. Guards found him hanging from his cell, his death ruled a suicide. His widow, Janice McAfee, is demanding a "thorough investigation," for "answers about how this was able to happen," Renata Brito and Aritz Parra reported for AP.

On Friday, while outside of the prison where her husband died, McAfee referenced how a request from the United States for John McAfee to be extradited had just been granted by a court.

From AP:

“We had a plan of action already in place to appeal that decision,” Janice McAfee told reporters. “I blame the U.S. authorities for this tragedy: Because of these politically motivated charges against him my husband is now dead.”

The National Court judge said John McAfee had provided no evidence to back his allegations that he was being politically persecuted. “On the contrary, according to his own testimony, he took part in primaries of a certain party to defend his convictions with a result little favorable to him,” the judge wrote in the ruling seen by AP.

In an e-mailed statement, the U.S. State Department confirmed for the first time the tycoon’s death, offering the family condolences. It said: “We are closely monitoring local authorities’ investigation into the cause of death. We stand ready to provide all appropriate assistance to the family. Out of respect to the family during this difficult time, we have no further comment.”

Results of McAfee’s autopsy could take “days or weeks,” authorities have said.

Janice McAfee pushed back against the idea that her husband had committed suicide, pointing to the last words that he said to her. 

"His last words to me were 'I love you and I will call you in the evening,'" the widow said, also noting that she spoke to her husband the same day he was found dead. "Those words are not words of somebody who is suicidal," Janice McAfee told reporters.

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Janice McAfee's lawyer, Javier Villalba, added that the death came as a surprise, since John McAfee "had not said goodbye." Janice McAfee is waiting for the autopsy to be done, and then plans on asking for a second, independent one, Villalba said. 

Adding an extra layer of mystery is that a suicide note had been found in McAfee's pocket at the time of his death, but that the family was not told about it:

An official source familiar with the investigation told The Associated Press that a suicide note had been found in McAfee’s pocket. The source, who was not authorized to speak about an ongoing judicial inquiry, refused to comment on the content of the note.

McAfee’s Spanish lawyer, Javier Villalba, said that the family had not been informed by authorities about the note.

CNN also reported that John McAfee had a cell mate, who was not in the cell when McAfee was found dead:

McAfee had a cell mate at the prison, but that person was not in the cell around the time that McAfee was found dead, a prison official, who asked not to be named, told CNN. The official added the other person was out doing other normal activities at the prison. Asked if authorities had imposed special monitoring measures on McAfee in his cell, the official said, "I'm not aware of that."

Many have noted parallels between McAfee's death and that of convicted sexual predator, Jeffrey Epstein, whom McAfee knew. John McAfee himself tweeted that should he be found dead, it was not by suicide, but rather that he met his fate as Epstein did.

Janice McAfee herself tweeted on Father's Day, just days before her husband's death, that "Now the US authorities are determined to have John die in prison to make an example out of him for speaking out against the corruption within their government agencies."