Murder In Paradise: Mcafee's Dark Turn In Belize

John McAfee, the British-American computer programmer and businessman, was never charged with murder in Belize. However, he was a person of interest in the 2012 murder investigation of his neighbour, Gregory Faull. Faull was found dead in a pool of blood with a gunshot wound to the head.

McAfee went into hiding, believing the authorities were trying to frame him for the murder. Belize police raided McAfee's compound earlier that year, suspecting him of holding firearms and running a meth lab. Although most of his firearms were licensed, and he was not convicted or charged with making crystal meth, this was not the first time McAfee had drawn police attention in Belize.

McAfee was ordered to pay $25 million in damages over Faull's killing, but he refused, stating that he had no assets or intention to pay.

John McAfee's neighbour Gregory Faull was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head

John McAfee's neighbour, Gregory Faull, was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head on 11 November 2012. Faull was a 52-year-old retired Florida restaurateur, who lived three houses down from McAfee in the wealthy tourist enclave of Ambergris Caye, Belize.

Faull was known to be impatient with McAfee's dogs, which were left unleashed and threatening as he walked past to reach his favourite beach bar every evening. Faull had expressed a desire to poison the dogs, and when they turned up dead, he was the number one suspect. However, when Faull himself was found dead a day later, McAfee became the key "person of interest" in the case.

McAfee and Faull had a history of conflict, and McAfee told Wired magazine that he believed Belizean authorities were trying to frame him for the murder. He said:

> "You can say I'm paranoid about it, but they will kill me, there is no question. They've been trying to get me for months. They want to silence me...I am not well liked by the prime minister. I am just a thorn in everybody's side."

Belize's Prime Minister, Dean Barrow, called McAfee "extremely paranoid, even bonkers".

McAfee did not wait around to clear his name. Instead, he fled the country with his 20-year-old girlfriend, a documentary crew from Vice Magazine, and an arsenal of weapons. He was later arrested in Guatemala for illegally entering the country and deported back to the US.

In 2019, Faull's daughter filed a "wrongful death" lawsuit against McAfee, which resulted in him being ordered to pay Faull's family $25 million. He never paid.

McAfee was a person of interest in the murder investigation but was never charged

John McAfee, the British-American computer programmer and businessman, was a person of interest in the murder investigation of his neighbour, Gregory Faull, in Belize in 2012. However, he was never charged.

McAfee, who amassed a fortune by building the antivirus company that bears his name, had homes and businesses in the Central American country, where police say he had lived for at least two years. He was known to have a penchant for guns and tattoos and a goatee beard and moustache.

McAfee was wanted for questioning in connection with Faull's murder, but he went into hiding, believing that the authorities were trying to frame him. He told Wired magazine:

> "You can say I'm paranoid about it, but they will kill me, there is no question. They've been trying to get me for months. They want to silence me...I am not well liked by the prime minister. I am just a thorn in everybody's side."

Belize police confirmed that McAfee was a person of interest, but not a suspect, in Faull's murder. They wanted to question him as part of their investigation, but he evaded them and fled the country.

McAfee's troubles in Belize began when he refused requests for donations to the ruling United Democratic Party (UDP) to help fund its successful re-election bid. He said he rejected their requests because he didn't believe in participating in politics.

McAfee's compound in Belize was raided in 2012 after he was accused of holding unlicensed firearms and running a lab to make crystal meth. He was also suspected of sexual assault and pursuit of underage girls. One of his dogs was killed during the raid, and he was briefly detained, but no charges were brought against him.

In 2019, Faull's daughter filed a wrongful death lawsuit against McAfee, and he was ordered to pay $25 million to Faull's estate. He never paid.

McAfee died in a Barcelona jail cell in 2021 while awaiting extradition to the US on charges of tax evasion and securities fraud. He was never charged in connection with Faull's murder.

McAfee claimed he was being framed by the Belizean authorities

John McAfee, the British-American computer programmer and businessman, claimed that he was being framed by the Belizean authorities. In 2012, Belize police announced they were seeking McAfee for questioning in connection with the murder of his neighbour, Gregory Faull. McAfee went into hiding, claiming that the authorities were trying to kill him. He told Wired magazine:

> "You can say I'm paranoid about it, but they will kill me, there is no question. They've been trying to get me for months. They want to silence me...I am not well liked by the prime minister. I am just a thorn in everybody's side."

McAfee had a history of conflict with Faull, who had complained about McAfee's dogs. Faull was found dead in a pool of blood, with a gunshot wound to the head. McAfee, who had a penchant for guns, had tattoos, a goatee beard and moustache, and was known to keep a pack of dogs trained to attack. He also had a history of conflict with the Belizean authorities.

In 2012, McAfee's compound was raided by the Gang Suppression Unit of the Belize Police Department, who were searching for unlicensed drug manufacturing and possession of an unlicensed weapon. McAfee answered the door naked and holding a gun, with a 17-year-old girl in his bed. He was released without charge.

McAfee's property was raided again in 2013, and he subsequently returned to the United States while wanted in Belize for questioning on suspicion of murder. He claimed that the Belizean government had seized his assets and that his house had burned down under suspicious circumstances.

McAfee's troubles in Belize may have begun when he refused requests for donations to the ruling United Democratic Party (UDP). One man who knew McAfee well told Reuters that he believed McAfee's troubles started when he turned down these requests.

McAfee was never convicted of murder. In 2018, a US court ordered him to pay $25 million in a wrongful death lawsuit brought by Faull's daughter. However, he never paid.

McAfee fled Belize and was arrested in Guatemala

John McAfee, the British-American computer programmer and businessman, fled Belize in 2012 after being named a person of interest in the murder of his neighbour, Gregory Faull. Faull was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head. McAfee was convinced that the Belizean authorities were trying to frame him for the murder and that they would kill him.

McAfee crossed the border into Guatemala, where he was arrested for illegal entry. He then sought political asylum, but this was denied. He was taken to a detention centre, where he claimed to have had two heart attacks. He was hospitalised and later deported back to the United States.

McAfee's time in Guatemala was short but eventful. He was arrested, sought asylum, suffered heart attacks, and was deported.

Faull's family sued McAfee for wrongful death and were awarded $25 million

John McAfee was sued by the family of Gregory Faull for wrongful death. Faull was a neighbour of McAfee's in Belize, and was found dead from a single gunshot to the back of his head. Faull's family maintained that McAfee was responsible for his death, and in 2018, McAfee was found legally "liable" via a default judgement in a Florida, USA district court.

McAfee was ordered to pay $25 million to Faull's estate, but never appeared in court. He was also wanted in Belize for questioning by the San Pedro Police, but fled the country shortly after Faull's death.

In an interview with Wired, McAfee denied killing Faull, and said he had gone into hiding because he believed the Belizean authorities were trying to frame him for the murder. He also said he had refused to donate to the country's ruling United Democratic Party (UDP), and believed this was the reason for his troubles.

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