ROANOKE, Va.—
John McAfee attended Northside High School and Roanoke College. He made millions from the popular antivirus software he created. Now, he's wanted for questioning following the death of a neighbor in the Central American country of Belize.Friends who knew him 50 years ago when he lived in the Roanoke Valley say they're shocked by recent headlines that have thrust the internet pioneer into the international spotlight.
"I remember him as a normal teenager, and a cutup kind of like myself," said Tommy Firebaugh, one of McAfee's Northside classmates. "And we all just had a good time."
Firebaugh has fond memories from the early years of Northside High School, and of a young man he says was well-liked by classmates. He didn't realize McAfee was responsible for the software that carries his name, until McAfee spoke at Roanoke College commencement in 2008.
Since then, he's followed his friend on Facebook, and now in the news.
"We just find it hard to believe," Firebaugh told us, "because when we were in high school he was fun-loving and easy going, typical teenager. We don't want to believe it."
Firebaugh says he's concerned that McAfee has nowhere to turn, and few people he can trust in Belize, but he's holding out hope McAfee will be able to clear his name.
