If I were a three letter agency who illegally threatened some crypto developer with unsavory things, willing to send him to Guantanamo or to outright kill him (as some people on HN obviously can imagine very well)... I'd just shrug my shoulders after this highly conspicuous way of shutting down the project and think "well played, Mr. Developer, no hard feelings".

Of course.

If anyone knows their identity and suspects the canary, then disappearance or death would hint strongly at the canary being true.