MADRID (Reuters) – A Spanish court has ruled John McAfee died by suicide, a court document seen by Reuters showed on Friday, bringing to a close a probe about the death of the software entrepreneur.
McAfee, who launched the world’s first commercial anti-virus software in 1987, was found dead, aged 75, on June 23, 2021, in his prison cell a few hours after Spain’s high court authorised his extradition to the United States on tax evasion charges.
The British-American tech mogul had been in the Barcelona-area Brians 2 jail for eight months following his arrest after years on the run from U.S. authorities.
Although the autopsy had already determined he died by suicide, his family had filed an appeal asking for a more in-depth investigation into his death.
His body has been in a Barcelona morgue, waiting for the court process to be resolved.
“There is not a single element of suspicion, of a charge against a third party, of criminal behaviour,” said the ruling, dated July 24 but released on Friday.
His family did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The ruling can’t be appealed before an ordinary court. (This story has been refiled to fix language on suicide in paragraph 1)
(Reporting by Emma Pinedo; Editing by Charlie Devereux and Anil D’Silva)
