Support our non-partisan non-profit newsroom 💜 Donate now

Web pioneer John McAfee caught in murder mystery

Kai Ryssdal Nov 13, 2012
HTML EMBED:
COPY

Web pioneer John McAfee caught in murder mystery

Kai Ryssdal Nov 13, 2012
HTML EMBED:
COPY

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article incorrectly attributed the authorship of a statement on Wired.com. John McAfee posted to proclaim his innocence. The text has been updated.

In the small Central American nation of Belize this past Saturday night, an American named Gregory Faull was found shot in the back of the head. John McAfee, one of the first developers of anti-virus software for your computer, is one of the suspects in the crime, which took place on the island of Ambergris Caye.

The story of his involvement came to light this morning on Gizmodo.com. Jeff Wise authored the piece and wrote: “McAfee has become increasingly estranged from his fellow expatriates in recent years. His behavior has become increasingly erratic, and by his own admission he had begun associating with some of the most notorious gangsters in Belize.”

Wise has been studying McAfee for years now, documenting his strange journey from computer pioneer to shadowy figure.

“Here’s a guy who had everything,” Wise told Marketplace. “He walked away from this company he founded with millions and millions of dollars, he was in the prime of life, he could do whatever he wanted to do. And the tragedy is that a certain [type of] person put in that situation…it will ruin them.”

McAfee surfaced this afternoon to proclaim his innocence in an exclusive interview on Wired.com.

There’s a lot happening in the world.  Through it all, Marketplace is here for you. 

You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible. 

Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.