One of the ex-girlfriends of Internet security pioneer John McAfee says that he fears that his life is in danger from the Belize government.
The eccentric software millionaire, who co-founded the famous antivirus company, has been on the run since his Belize neighbor, Gregory Faull, was shot to death execution style.
The girlfriend, going by the name Francesca (not her real name), told CNN that McAfee is “frightened for his life.” She apparently is in contact with McAfee by phone about once a day and that she has no idea where he has been hiding. Francesca herself also apparently believes that authorities want to do away with McAfee, and that’s why he won’t turn himself in for questioning to police.
“He’s in constant fear, paranoid. I would say it’s because of what he has been through. … He thinks people are always after him, which they really are right now.
“It will never be ended until John is dead. That’s what I believe, until they kill him.”
In a phone interview with Wired magazine, McAfee suggested that Faull’s muder may have been a case of mistaken identity, and the shooter was after McAfee instead.
According to CNN, Faull was killed shortly after several of McAfee’s pack of dogs were poisoned, and that Faull complained a lot about barking.
“McAfee is thought to have shot them to put them out of their misery … Authorities are now awaiting the results of ballistics tests to see whether there is any connection between the bullets in the dogs and the one that killed Faull.”
A police spokesman dismissed any possibility that the Belize government wants to harm McAfee:
“My goodness .. .He needs to come in so that we can clear the air. We are law-abiding people here. We follow the laws to the letter. We believe at this point that he has absolutely no fear of being killed by anybody.”