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Johan Ordonez / AFP - Getty Images file
U.S. anti-virus software pioneer John McAfee listens to questions from a journalist in front of the Supreme Court in Guatemala City on Dec. 4.
Anti-virus software guru John McAfee was detained by Guatemalan police on Wednesday for illegally entering the country, interior minister Mauricio Lopez Bonilla said.
McAfee's lawyer said he would be held until it could be determined if he entered the country legally, according to NBC News' Fabiola Lacayo.
McAfee crossed into Guatemala to evade authorities in Belize who want to question him in connection with the murder of his neighbor. There is no international arrest warrant for McAfee.
McAfee smuggled himself and his girlfriend, who he calls Samantha, across the porous land border that Belize shares with Guatemala. He stayed at a hotel in a national park before heading for Guatemala City on Monday evening.
On Tuesday, McAfee said he would seek political asylum in Guatemala. "I have no plans much for the future now. The reason I chose Guatemala is two-fold," McAfee told Reuters by telephone from Guatemala's Supreme Court, flanked by his lawyer, former attorney general and lawyer Telesforo Guerra.
"It is a country bordering Belize, it is a country that understands the corruption within Belize and most importantly, the former attorney general of the country is Samantha's uncle and I knew that he would assist us with legal proceedings."
McAfee has denied involvement in the murder and told Reuters on Monday he would not turn himself in. He posted repeatedly on his blog while on the run, describing how he would constantly change his disguise to elude capture.
Founder of McAfee security software John McAfee emerged from hiding in Guatemala where he plans to seek asylum. McAfee claims he is being persecuted by police in Belize where he is considered a person of interest in the killing of another American.
On Tuesday, McAfee appeared with his hair and goatee dyed black, and wearing a dark suit and tie - a far cry from the surfer-style blonde hair highlights, shorts and tribal-tattooed bare shoulders he sported in Belize.
"(Guerra) is now attempting to get political asylum for myself and for Sam. I don't think there will be much of a problem. From here I can speak freely and safely," McAfee said.
Reporter's iPhone photo reveals John McAfee's location
He was traveling with a photographer from Vice magazine, which revealed his location by posting a photo of the two together under the headline, “We are with John McAfee right now, suckers.”
Reuters contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
1st time posting 1st ... that's it - have a nice day
The US must not waste one dollar of the taxpayers money trying to save this dude.
I can't imagine why we would. Obviously, your understanding of US governmental protection of US citizens abroad (which is basically NONE) is lacking.
you guys always miss the point. GUATEMALA ARRESTED A GUY FOR ENTERING THEIR COUNTRY ILLEGALLY? Ya gotta be kidding me. Half their country is here on the east coast doing day labor with no papers, no green cards etc. and they have the nerve to arrest anyone for "entering their country ILLEGALLY?????? REALLY? LMFAO
george pauljohn
There are some countries, like Guatmala, that have higher standards and want to keep the gringos out!
WHITE MAN.....GO HOME!
__________________________________________
Well hi havingfun,,,,,, way to go! Have a nice day !
(The infamous "feisty redhead" could take a few lessons from you on how not to annoy people.)
george - grow up, seriously. im so sick of faux outrage about illegals coming into america.
want an easy fix to the illegal immigration problem?
crackdown and close all the businesses hiring illegals - and magically you'll see a lot fewer people sneaking into america (or being smuggled in) to be slave laborers for large corporations making massive profits.
of course, our economy would collapse - our entire nation was created on slave labor, you cant just pull the rug out and expect it to be just fine.
we are reaping what we've sowed, quit crying crocodile tears...
I don't know much about John McAfee. Is he a citizen of the U.S.? He was born in England. I think he attended college in Vermont or Virginia....something with a V. lol
So his parents may very well be American.
lol well that IS interesting...never bothered to know who owned McAfee...interesting place he chose ;-)
I've been following this story from the start. It's definitely one of the more offbeat crime cases I've seen in a while.
People tend to assume the guys who rabbit are guilty, yet he wasn't in the USA. It's a corrupt Central American country where they can and will throw you into jail and lose the keys. Adding to him having some confrontations with the established political structure along with being "wealthy" (for that area), yeah he has a big target painted on his forehead.
Drug addicts constantly lie and justify their actions, which pretty much sums up his entire blog. He's a rich, drug-addicted gun nut who shot his neighbor in revenge and ran, fabricating all kinds of nonsense along the way.
What we have here is our new excentric dope feened nut job like Howard Hughs! Oh boy!
I've always had the feeling that anti-virus companies like McAfee also created the viruses they were protecting against - and screwing us all out of our money.
Plus, his anti-virus software sucks.
From my viewpoint, McAfee AV is a whole lot better than Norton..... But if he did kill someone then he needs to face justice.
I hope not. It's on my computer. Never had a virus I'm aware of.
There's nothing like arguing with your neighbor, having that neighbor turn up murdered, then acting all paranoid, fleeing from authorities, fleeing the country and claiming a government plot against you to show the world you are innocent.
But i'm bias. I had McAfee AV on my computer. It didn't stop a virus from getting on my computer and it couldn't clean if from that computer. Although I was paying over $100 a year for Mcafee protection, they wanted nearly another $100 to have someone clean the virus off of my computer.
Kaspersky anti-virus is tops and only cost about $90 per year. My gut feeling is he is being set up. Maybe his software failed and ticked off the wrong junta government that has friends who are friends of the the Governor General of Belize.
Living in Vietnam for half my life and got to know some of the fine thing you can do with money, I can tell you that if someone want to get you, the easiest way is to slam a crime, any crime. After that, you will not hear that person ever again.
China is also the master of this, nothing surprise so far.
And that's the problem. If it doesn't see it, then it must not be there? Hmm???? :-)
-_-
Julie
Or itsjust.....not there.
This story is bizarre.
who did he kill..what neighbor and why
He alleges that he and his neighbor had an argument over his dogs. The neighbor didn't like them and he claims the neighbor poisoned them. Or something. It's hard to follow the train of thought of a mad-man.
Guys McAffee no longer owns that software. He sold it back in the 90's, it only bears his name now.
he killed ED NORTON. LOL
Innocent people don't run. Sorry nutjob.
When in lawless countries, they do. Jews and others who could tried to flee Germany, Austria, Poland, France and other countries. Any place where there's a lynch mob, the idea would be to flee. The neighbor could have been killed by a relative, but the government wants who it wants.
Only poor people with no mean don't run. You must live in fantasy land where the government is always right.
Come to Vietnam, have a taste of unregulated market and corrupt government. You will sing a different tune in less than 1 month.
Sorry RJ Simons, but you obviously don't know crap about this case.....and you call Beakeeper a "nut-job", it gets so old when idiots call others who obviously have some knowledge "nut-jobs", all that does is indicate your ignorance. People who have an intellect will run when they have the ability to recognize when they have no other valid choice for survival.....but an idiot wouldn't recognize that now would you RJ.
Daniel, I think you get your point across best without the ad hominem.
alll generalizations are stupid, RJ.
Has proof reading gone by the wayside? "On Tuesday, McAfee appeared with his hair and goatee died black",
I believe that should be "dyed" black. It isn't much, but these things detracted from the story, IMO.
Astro21, you are right. Time will tell how this unfolds. What is the alternative to refusing to turn oneself in? /shrugs.
For Elvis Payne:
http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/01/world/americas/belize-mcafee-killing/index.html
NBCnews doesn't have proof-readers or editors for its articles. Why should here be any different? <end ironic remark
It's possible he was framed. Really stupid police wouldn't have enough brains to believe even Mother Teresa. I will be interested to see how this plays out.
If other rumors I've heard are true, there's no doubt he's guilty. The one I've heard is that he was setting up a laboratory to manufacture drugs.
...which he was never found guilty of that in the first place. Wow, if i am ever in court i hope your not on the jury.
Shame on me: this is not news-worthy----a dye jog is supposed to eliminate identification? Please...
This guy is a half a bubble off level if you ask me.
Only half? I'd say at least a whole bubble...
When your goatee dies it turns black! Sort of like a damaged finger nail.
I'll have a Mcafee with a double shot of espresso... add a side of fries with that.
The rich don't have to follow the laws,that's what they have lawyers and bribed politicians for
News says he sold McAfee Anti-virus for $100 million and lost $94 million during the financial crisis. He says this story isn't true. He says his neighbor poisoned his 4 dogs, but an autopsy shows the dogs died from gunshot. He's a strange character.
Recently read he lost $96 million & moved to Belize with $4 million. He still says he hasn't lost any money.
You don't read much do you...
He never said his neighbor poisoned his dogs, not once did he make that accusation. When asked about it by an interviewer he says he doesn't know who poisoned them but doesn't believe it was the neighbor.
Thank you otherguy!
Some one has payed attention!
Goodlord people, if you don't know then don't post!
He is delusional.
Gee, rich people have a lot of problems. Guess I should support him. Tell him he can deposit his money into my account.
The caption should read... " Stay thirsty my friends..."
A rich white American being held in Guatamala as an illegal immigrant. DELICIOUS IRONY!
Norton. Use to use this. Got hassled every year when I tried to get my rebate.
McAfee. Use to use this. Got hassled every year when I tried to get a rebate. Memory hog.
Kaspersky. Been using for several years and they have their proverbial s*it together. Way better protection as far as I'm concerned.
Oh, we are discussing McAfee the person. Well, all I can say is if you think Belize is the place to live..Maybe 30 years ago... They do speak English, so I guess you don't have to try and learn Spanish. Flee to Guatemala? Too funny. What is that expression, out of the pan and into the fire. Sounds like desperation to me.
He moved to Belize for the low cost of living so he could live out his life relatively comfortable with the money he has left. I know of many people who did something similar to this, their living in various modestly developed third world countries (can we call Philippines third world?). You look for a place that has somewhat of a local economy and that has cheap labor, makes everything else cheap. His problem was he didn't research the background to that location, didn't realize how hostile the government could become. And upon realizing that, he decided to speak his mind which is a VERY bad idea in places like that.
Yes theotherguy, I understand the concept. It was more a rhetorical statement that was sarcasm about being drawn to Belize cause he didn't have to learn Spanish and apparently not more intelligent decisions. I have lived in South American countries as a US citizen and may do so more in the future as my wife is from there and some countries are WAY cheaper. My point is basically the same as yours. For being what I assumed would be a rather intelligent person, he seems to be making some rather foolish mistakes that a typical tourist might make.
Whats that Patsy Kline song? "Crazy, Crazy For you"...this boy ain't right.
McAfee is such a Moron...Going 'round all over the place BRAGGING that he won't get caught...Who does he think he is?...Spider Man..."Oh What Tangled Webs We Weave...When Once We Go About To Deceive"...The Bible says to "Make sure (our) sins find us out"...In other words...It's always BEST to face the music here...and REPENT....than face the JUDGE Of The Universe...and hear Him say, "Depart From ME you worker of iniquity...I Never Knew you"....
It's a chess game , he plays a virus king.
What a Ding a Ling!! CIA should take him out!
?... for what?