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John McAfee attempted to take his own life in February; was put under suicide watch, says prison authorities
The failed suicide attempt was made at the Brians prison complex located outside of Barcelona, where John McAfee has been an inmate since his arrest in October 2020.
Software mogul John McAfee who was found dead in a Spanish prison in May, from a possible suicide, had first attempted to take his own life on February 28, a source from the Spanish penitentiary system told Reuters on Friday, adding that following the incident he was put under suicide watch by the prison authorities.
The failed suicide attempt was made at the Brians prison complex located outside of Barcelona, where McAfee has been an inmate since his arrest in October 2020. The suicide watch programme involves monitoring an inmate’s mental health for weeks, months, or even years. For reasons related to the confidentiality of the programme, the authorities have refused to divulge any details of the 75-year old’s time when he was placed under suicide watch.
Also Read: 'His last words to me were I love you': McAfee was not suicidal, says widow
McAfee, who was awaiting extradition to the US for allegedly evading more than $4 million in taxes, had married Janice McAfee in 2013, a year after meeting her in Miami. His widow had asked for a “thorough investigation” to provide “answers about how this was able to happen.” She blamed the US authorities for his death, stating that “because of these politically motivated charges against him my husband is now dead.”
This latest development comes amidst claims made by McAfee’s Spanish lawyer Javier Villalba that his client did not exhibit suicidal tendencies before being found dead in his cell. Janice, too, had backed Villalba’s claims, holding US authorities responsible for the software mogul’s death.
A Spanish daily had reported on Monday that an autopsy showed McAfee died by suicide, and that the authorities have also recovered a suicide note. His lawyer told the Associated Press that Janice asked him to request a second, independent autopsy once the results of the first one were released.
