Belize Woman Sues John McAfee in Wrongful Death Act

In a case that has all the makings of a murder mystery, police found the neighbor of tech and security guru John McAfee shot dead in Belize. Now the man’s daughter is suing McAfee for the murder under Florida’s Wrongful Death Act. McAfee himself has repeatedly denied any connection to the man’s death but Belize has classified him as a “person of interest” in the murder but has fallen short of naming him a suspect and have not pressed any charges.

Lawyers for the victim, the estate of Gregory Faull, and his daughter, are currently attempting to serve McAfee with the papers, but the suit is being delayed by their inability to locate him.

McAfee maintains his innocence and questions the timing of the trial, which happens to coincide with the beginning of a new business venture. But what was his relationship to the victim and why is the victim’s daughter targeting him?

What Happened?

According to a collection of police reports Faull had filed a complaint against McAfee alleging that his dogs represented a threat to both his neighbors and to tourists. Faull was a sports bar owner who had relocated to Belize after he and his wife divorced. McAfee claims he was not aware of the complaint. After Belize officials neglected to do anything, two dogs belonging to McAfee’s girlfriend were found poisoned. The dogs needed to be put to sleep.

McAfee did admit that Faull had approached him about the dogs but said that complaints were common and came from multiple sources. He claims that he did not suspect that the poisoning was Faull’s doing.

At this point, however, McAfee went into hiding and crossed the border illegally into Guatemala. He claims that he feared the Belize authorities would use the suspicion to detain him indefinitely. McAfee claims this fear is justified because he was prone to accusing Belize’s government of corruption.

McAfee now resides in Portland, Oregon. He has since issued a $25,000 reward for any information on the killing.

But the family of Gregory Faull called this a “hollow gesture” and hopes that the discovery tools availed to them by the U.S. judicial system will shed some light on Faull’s murder.

Intentional Torts

While tort lawsuits are generally known as negligence lawsuits, intentional misconduct can also be grounds for a personal injury suit. Florida’s Wrongful Death law, as all wrongful death statutes, allows victims of an intentional homicide to sue the perpetrator of a crime in civil court where the standard of proof is much lower.

This is precisely what happened in the O.J. trial after the running back was found innocent in criminal court. The families of Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson successfully sued O.J. Simpson in civil court and recovered a $33 million verdict. The judgment remains mostly unpaid and each year it gets higher and higher.

Jacksonville Wrongful Death and Personal Injury Attorney

Gillette Law has successfully recovered millions for Jacksonville-area victims of negligence, malice, and wrongful death. Contact our law office if you have been injured or a family member has died.

Resources:

bbc.com/news/technology-24938088

insurancejournal.com/news/national/2017/07/21/458307.htm

https://www.gillettelaw.com/family-of-police-shooting-victim-files-wrongful-death-lawsuit/