John McAfee arrested in Guatemala

[ds]

What a sad situation. Its obvious that McAfee is in a state of mania. Its been widely documented that he has extensive abuse issues with bath salt type of drugs which are about as paranoia-inducing as possible.

Regardless of his guilt in killing his neighbor, he truly needs professional help. Going long periods as he is can have serious long-term effects.

Also, this is not someone to idolize. He fled from the US to avoid a wrongful death lawsuit.

[bitsoda]

For anyone unfamiliar with bath salts, here is a fairly comprehensive article describing the drug: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/multimedia/bath-salts/

Also, here's a quick summary of what the drug does in GIF format: http://i.imgur.com/P4csH.gif

[powertower]

The only way I can rationalize your post is by assuming that 1) you've never done any type of drugs, especially stimulants, and 2) you've yet to form an understanding of how the media likes to sensationalize stories to the point of making them up.

If you look at any of McAfee's current writings, posts, or comments, or his behavior on camera, or his health/appearance (that is, for a 70 year old man!), you'd see a man that's about as far away from a manic drug addicted bath salt face-eating user as you can get.

When someone asked him on the blog if he was suicidal -

McAfee said...

Don't have a knife. And I enjoy living. Suicide is

absurdly redundant. The world, from the very begining,

hurls viruses, accidents, hungry animals, defective DNA -

and uncountable more - in an attempt to kill us. It

always succeeds. Suicide is simply aiding and abetting.

http://www.whoismcafee.com/

Clearly a man that has lost his faculties.

[georgeorwell]

Paranoia is obvious, psychosis I can believe as a side-effect from the drugs, but I'm not sure how you arrived at mania, especially in this case since the definition says the mood cannot be due to drugs/medication and it's not even clear that he has an elevated (or irritable) mood. If it isn't the drugs, it could just as likely be some kind of schizophrenia (no mania) as bipolar (implied by mania).

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mania#Signs_and_symptoms

A manic episode is defined in the American Psychiatric Association's diagnostic manual as a period of seven or more days (or any period if admission to hospital is required) of unusually and continuously effusive and open elated or irritable mood, where the mood is not caused by drugs/medication or a medical illness (e.g., hyperthyroidism), and (a) is causing obvious difficulties at work or in social relationships and activities, or (b) requires admission to hospital to protect the person or others, or (c) the person is suffering psychosis.

To be classed as a manic episode, while the disturbed mood is present at least three (or four if only irritability is present) of the following must have been consistently prominent: grand or extravagant style, or expanded self-esteem; reduced need of sleep (e.g. three hours may be sufficient); talks more often and feels the urge to talk longer; ideas flit through the mind in quick succession, or thoughts race and preoccupy the person; over indulgence in enjoyable behaviors with high risk of a negative outcome (e.g., extravagant shopping, sexual adventures or improbable commercial schemes).

[shardling]

Ok, it was really annoying to track down the source of the bath salt thing -- amazing how some journalists never link back to the original source.

But here's the gizmodo piece that mentions it: http://gizmodo.com/5959812/john-mcafee-wanted-for-murder

[Wingman4l7]

For those unfamiliar: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bath_salts_(drug)

(Basically "the informal "street name" for a family of designer drugs often containing substituted cathinones, which have effects similar to amphetamine and cocaine.")

[s_baby]

This allegation that he was synthesizing bath salts makes zero sense. It's so ubiquitous and cheap, it makes as much sense as synthesizing tylenol. Don't believe the media hype and spread fud.

[andrewfelix]

Serious question: Why do so many people empathise with McAfee's plight?

From where I stand he looks like wealthy man who lost direction, turned to drugs and likely killed a man.

[_delirium]

Techies read a lot of genre fiction with anti-heroes on the run, and that kind of thing. Maybe even some political sympathy, McAfee as an example of "going Galt".

[georgeorwell]

All humans need and deserve empathy: healthy/unhealthy, good/evil, innocent/criminal. In particular, empathy often provides psychological healing, although it won't do him much good personally unless it reaches him.

[genwin]

The part of the plight I empathize with is where the police want to question him, not over the phone, but in a place where they can both question him unfairly and also have the possibility to detain him before trial, for months.

[edj]

Although it's more interesting to imagine he was found due to the outing of a VICE photographer's EXIF data[1], it's probably more likely he gave himself up at the advice of his attorney in Guatemala[2].

[1]: http://www.mobileprivacy.org/2012/12/vice-com-publishes-excl...

[2]: http://www.vice.com/read/john-mcafee-is-in-guatemala-city-an...

[gkoberger]

This means the VICE metadata of the image the published was correct, and his "I edited the EXIF data" story was a lie: he was in Guatemala (specifically, along the Rio Dulce in Parque Nacional Rio Dulce).

Also, just yesterday he posted saying that he would be meeting with Guatemalan officials this morning: http://www.whoismcafee.com/guatemala/

[citricsquid]

He admitted it in that post you linked to:

    Yesterday was chaotic due to the accidental release of 
    my exact co-ordinates by an unseasoned technician at 
    Vice headquarters.

[Gustomaximus]

And the people analysing it as a cardboard cut-out were also wrong.

[eduardob]

I'd like to know details on how Vice got access to Mcafee so quickly.

[Uchikoma]

Reading about McAfee on wikipedia, I found this one interesting relating to the paranoia point of the story:

"In a 2012 article in Mensa Bulletin, the magazine of American Mensa, he stated that being the developer of the first commercial anti-virus program has made him "the most popular hacking target", adding "Hackers see hacking me as a badge of honor". He added that for his own security he has other people buy his computer equipment for him, uses pseudonyms for setting up computers and logging in, and changes his IP address several times a day."

[Samuel_Michon]

Sounds like RMS...

[skadamat]

"They say the trial will last 30 days"

[gprasanth]

    McAffee, trial, 30 days

Haha I see what you did there :)

[DigitalSea]

Looks like it's time to open up another packet of popcorn kernels, this movie is starting to get even more interesting. In all seriousness though, I may have said else-wise earlier but provided John is given a chance to defend himself and isn't killed or framed for the murder before the trial, if he's telling the truth hopefully it all works out in the end.

[illuminate]

"isn't killed or framed for the murder before the trial"

He could certainly be guilty and the sole source of all this drama, you know. He's been a very unreliable narrator since the beginning.

[sneak]

EXIF metadata: ruining people's lives since 1995

[brandoncor]

John was interviewed on the Joe Rogan podcast on Nov. 27 when he was still on the run: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GmwSgCfn38. It's worth a listen if you want to hear his side of the story (though it's quite cringeworthy).

It starts at about 18:40.

[Aco-]

This is an interesting interview, McAfee doesn't sound insane at all, in fact this entire interview sounds exactly the opposite, he is rather put together and well spoken.

[1qaz2wsx3edc]

Great job Vice Magazine! Good Journalism.

(Leak aside, this is probably for the best though.)

[smoyer]

Why does following the McAfee story feel like watching a soap opera?

[sliverstorm]

Because this is the kind of things soap operas are made from?

[danso]

Nice job VICE magazine

[djt]

I think he went to Guatemala for asylum on purpose

[olalonde]

According to his blog, he might not get deported:

> My lawyer just brought a judge to the jail and the judge issued a stay order until a higher judge can review the case. This effectively stops Immigration from returning me to the Belize border. So….. the urgency is eased a bit.

[Uchikoma]

Not sure how his side of story goes, all news seems to be incoherent: He didn't pay 2M$ to that party, so they made the police kill his neighbor in order to take him for questioning and then kill him?

[frozenport]

I am impressed that he hasn't died earlier from the drugs - the guy is 67 and looks 50. He must drunk a lot of tea. If they find him guilty, his life is over.

[RoyceFullerton]

Vice footage of the detainment: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWqiVhRa0xI

[nnq]

...just out of curiosity, what's the worst thing that could happen to this guy if he just comes back to the US?

[iKlsR]

I wonder if he will get a 30 day trial..

[philwelch]

He should have made a beeline for the Ecuadorian embassy and pulled an Assange maneuver.

[marcamillion]

Well the good thing is that now McAfee has the entire world watching what happens to him - so it's more likely that he won't be killed.

We will see though.