Two Years Later: McAfee's Widow Still Seeks Answers About His Prison Death

Janice McAfee remains trapped in limbo. More than two years after antivirus pioneer John McAfee’s death in a Barcelona prison, his widow is living off odd jobs in an undisclosed Spanish location, unable to afford the €30,000 independent autopsy that might finally answer her questions.

Despite a Catalan court ruling his death a suicide last September, Janice doubts the official narrative. “We talked every day after he was imprisoned,” she revealed in an exclusive interview. “I don’t know how he was hanged. I don’t know if it was with a rope or a shoelace.”

What troubles her most: the prison’s own report stated that when guards found John, he had a weak pulse and was breathing. Yet medical staff apparently attempted CPR without first removing the ligature from his neck—a basic protocol violation that haunts her.

The Missing $100 Million

John’s wealth tells its own story. Once worth over $100 million after leaving his antivirus company, his net worth had shrunk to an estimated $4 million by his death. In 2020, authorities claimed he and his team had made $11 million promoting cryptocurrencies—income he allegedly hid.

With no will, no estate, and U.S. judgments against him, Janice inherited nothing. John deliberately kept her ignorant of his rumored “31 terabytes of secret data” to protect her from danger. “He assured me they were after him, not me,” she explained.

Still Waiting for Closure

Janice’s primary goal isn’t justice or money—it’s honoring John’s final wish: cremation. His body remains in the prison morgue two years later, for reasons she cannot fathom.

“I’m not looking for justice. There is no such thing anymore,” she said quietly. “I just want his body released and his wish respected. That’s the least he deserves.”

She supports herself however she can, redirecting every spare moment and cent toward obtaining the autopsy report. For someone who lost everything—her husband, her financial security, her peace of mind—Janice McAfee’s determination to uncover the truth feels less like vindication and more like survival.