John McAfee once said if he was ever found dead in 'suicide' he 'didn't kill himself'

British-American computer programmer and businessman John McAfee, who was found dead in his cell in a jail near Barcelona on June 23, had a "Whackd" tattoo on his right arm and claimed that even if he was ever found dead by suicide, he "did not kill himself". On December 1, 2019, the creator of McAfee antivirus software posted an image on Twitter in which he accused the officials in the United States of sending him threats through "subtle messages". On June 23, McAfee reportedly killed himself just hours after it was announced that he would be extradited to the US.

Local newspaper El Pais reported that the 75-year-old tech pioneer is reported to have taken his own life in Barcelona prison. However, two years ago, McAfee had already claimed that the reason behind his ‘whackd tattoo is the constant threat he had been receiving from the US. He had written in the caption, “Getting subtle messages from U.S. officials saying, in effect: 'We're coming for you McAfee! We're going to kill yourself'," he wrote.

He added, "I got a tattoo today just in case. If I suicide myself, I didn't. I was whackd. Check my right arm." 

John McAfee, whose legal troubles reportedly spanned from Tennessee to Central America to the Caribbean, was discovered at the Brians 2 penitentiary in northeastern Spain. Reportedly, the security officials tried to revive him but the jail’s medical team on Wednesday finally certified his death. A statement from the regional Catalan government said, “A judicial delegation has arrived to investigate the causes of death...everything points to death by suicide.” However, the statement did not mention the tech mogul by name.

McAfee’s reported suicide on Wednesday came after Spain’s National Court on Monday ruled in the favour of his extradition. The 75-year-old had argued in an earlier hearing that the charges against him by prosecutors in Tennessee were ‘politically motivated’ and claimed that he would have to spend the rest of his life imprisoned if he was to return to the United States. The Monday ruling was made public on June 23 and was open for appeal and the final extradition of the antivirus pioneer would have required Spanish Cabinet’s approval.

John McAfee referenced Jeffrey Epstein in suicide

The ‘whackd’ tattoo is not the only time McAfee cited his suicide. In a cryptic tweet on October 15, 2020, the software tycoon had said that if he was found hanged behind bars like convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein “it would be no fault of mine.” He said in teh tweet last year, “I am content in here. I have friends. The food is good. All is well.”

“Know that if I hang myself, a la Epstein, it will be no fault of mine,” he added.

John McAfee was arrested on October 3, 2020, at El Prat airport in Spain as he was about to leave the country to reach Turkey. And that same month, he was charged in Tennessee with evading taxes following his failure to report income made from promoting cryptocurrencies while he did consulting work, made speaking engagements and sold the rights to his life story for a documentary.

IMAGE: AP/Twitter