John McAfee Hospitalised In Guatemala Over Possible Heart Attack

Security software pioneer and wanted man John McAfee was rushed to a hospital on Thursday after suffering chest pains which hinted at a possible heart attack.

The eccentric millionaire has since returned to his cell at a Guatemala City immigrant detention facility, where he awaits the decision on whether he will be deported back to Belize, where he is wanted for questioning in connection with the murder of his neighbour and fellow American expatriate Gregory Faull.

McAfee had been on the run from police for three weeks and crossed into neighbouring Guatemala a few days ago. He planned to hold a press conference there, but was arrested for entering the country illegally. McAfee has previously accused Belizean authorities of corruption and even suggested he would be killed if returned there.

The beat that my heart skipped

According to ABC news, McAfee, aged 67, was discovered lying unconscious on the floor of his cell on Thursday morning. An ambulance was called, and he was wheeled into the hospital on a gurney. “I simply passed out, everything went black,” he later explained. While being in the hospital, the usually media-friendly McAfee made an extra effort to ask the photographers to leave his room.

The medics said there was no reason to keep the man hospitalised, since his sudden loss of strength was likely caused by dehydration. McAfee himself has denied his health was in any danger. However, The Independent has reported that the millionaire suffered two mild heart attacks, quoting his lawyer (who is also the uncle of his girlfriend Samantha) as the source.

McAfee’s attorneys hope to stop his deportation by appealing to the Guatemalan High Court. In case the ex-developer is shipped off to Belize, he could be detained for 48 hours even if no charges are brought against him. According to McAfee’s latest post, a local judge has issued a stay order which means this won’t happen in the near future.

McAfee has denied killing Faull, telling the media that he believed he was the original assassination target. He also said that he wouldn’t contact the authorities for fear that Belize’s Gang Suppression Unit, which has raided his home in the past, would torture him into confession and then “execute” him.

The company founded by McAfee is now owned by Intel, and remains the second largest security software vendor in the world. After leaving the IT industry, McAfee’s behaviour has become increasingly erratic. It has been reported that he assembled an extensive collection of guns, and claimed to have connections with a number of well-known gang members in Belize.

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