John McAfee's Suicide Tweets Spark Conspiracy Theories

As software mogul's lawyer confirms that is how he died
By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 24, 2021 12:06 AM CDT
Updated Jun 24, 2021 6:44 AM CDT
John McAfee's Death Was Suicide: Lawyer
In this Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2015, file photo, John McAfee announces his candidacy for president in Opelika, Ala.   (Todd J. Van Emst/Opelika-Auburn News via AP, File)

John McAfee's lawyer has confirmed what was originally suspected when the antivirus software pioneer was found dead in his Spanish prison cell: McAfee, 75, died by suicide. According to his lawyer, McAfee hanged himself, Reuters reports. But, as the New York Post reports, months-old tweets from the prolific social media user were sparking conspiracy theories online. On Oct. 15 of last year, McAfee tweeted of his cell, "I am content in here. I have friends. The food is good. All is well. Know that if I hang myself, a la [Jeffrey] Epstein, it will be no fault of mine." And in November of 2019, he tweeted, alongside a photograph of a tattoo reading "$WHACKD," "Getting subtle messages from US officials saying, in effect: 'We're coming for you McAfee! We're going to kill yourself'. I got a tattoo today just in case. If I suicide myself, I didn't. I was whackd."

McAfee had also posted about Epstein in the past, saying in 2019 that he did not believe the disgraced financier killed himself. A hashtag similar to the one that cropped up after Epstein's death started appearing on Twitter Wednesday—#JohnMcAfeeDidntKillHimself. Adding fuel to the fire: An image showing a black "Q" on a white background was uploaded to McAfee's Instagram page (which since appears to have been taken down entirely) shortly after his death was announced, which, as the Daily Beast reports, spurred speculation related to the QAnon conspiracy theory. McAfee had, in the past, written what DB refers to as "trollish" posts implying he knew Q's identity, and had posted about other conspiracy theories. McAfee was to be extradited to the US to face tax evasion charges, was suspected in the death of a neighbor in Belize, had been accused of drugging and raping a former employee, and faced a wrongful death lawsuit in the 2006 death of his nephew. (More John McAfee stories.)

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