McAfee attempted suicide months before death in Spanish jail, prisons source says

FILE PHOTO: John McAfee, co-founder of McAfee Crypto Team and CEO of Luxcore and founder of McAfee Antivirus, speaks at the Malta Blockchain Summit in St Julian's, Malta November 1, 2018. REUTERS/Darrin Zammit Lupi/File Photo

BARCELONA (Reuters) - John McAfee, who authorities believe committed suicide in a Spanish prison last month, first tried to kill himself in February, prompting closer monitoring of the U.S. software mogul by warders, a penitentiary system source told Reuters on Friday.

McAfee, who launched the world's first commercial anti-virus software in 1987, was awaiting extradition to the United States on tax evasion charges. His widow said last week he was not suicidal and blamed U.S. authorities for his death.