What Happened to John McAfee? Spanish Court Confirms Death By Suicide

The court's pronouncement signifies the conclusion of McAfee's death investigation.
By Sunil Sharma
John-McAfee

Spanish court has officially confirmed that the cause of death for cryptocurrency entrepreneur John McAfee was suicide.

This announcement comes after the body of the 75-year-old businessman was discovered in his prison cell in June 2021, just hours after the approval of his extradition to the United States. Following his sudden death, Spanish authorities emphasized that there was no evidence to suggest third-party involvement in the incident.

McAfee’s Wife Pursuit of Answers

These findings were consistent with the initial police conclusion following the first autopsy in 2021. However, John McAfee’s widow, Janice McAfee, harbored doubts regarding the suicide explanation and embarked on a mission to gather signatures, urging the government to release her husband’s remains for an independent autopsy. She was convinced that John was fully prepared to face the legal battle that awaited him.

The circumstances surrounding John McAfee’s death have given rise to numerous conspiracy theories, some of which were propagated by McAfee himself through his online posts. He notably expressed his contentment in prison shortly before his passing, saying, “I’m happy here. I have friends. The food is good. Everything is fine. Know that if I hang myself like Epstein, it won’t be my fault.”

Legal Troubles and Political Allegations

McAfee’s legal troubles began in October 2020 when he was arrested in Spain at the request of U.S. authorities. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission accused him of deceiving investors in promoting ICO projects, while the Ministry of Justice filed charges for alleged tax evasion. In 2021, McAfee faced additional charges of fraud and money laundering.

However, John McAfee staunchly maintained that the accusations leveled against him were politically driven and portrayed the case as a targeted assault on the entire cryptocurrency industry.

It’s worth noting that in August 2022, McAfee’s ex-girlfriend Samantha Herrera denied his death, claiming in a Netflix documentary that he was still alive and in hiding in Texas.

That said, the Spanish court’s ruling, officially confirming McAfee’s suicide, brings a close to the legal investigation into the software mogul’s death. Despite previous appeals by his family for further inquiry, the court’s decision cannot be appealed further through ordinary legal channels.

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Sunil Sharma
Sunil is a serial entrepreneur and has been working in blockchain and cryptocurrency space for 2 years now. Previously he co-founded Govt. of India supported startup InThinks and is currently Chief Editor at Coingape and CEO at SquadX, a fintech startup. He has published more than 100 articles on cryptocurrency and blockchain and has assisted a number of ICO's in their success. He has co-designed blockchain development industrial training and has hosted many interviews in past. Follow him on X at @sharmasunil8114 and reach out to him at sunil (at) coingape.com
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