Latest news with #ColdCase:TheTylenolMurders
Daily Record
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
7 chilling true crime documentaries on Netflix to binge this weekend
Netflix is home to some of the most disturbing true crime documentaries that are all the rage with fans of the genre - but these are the most chilling of them all. There's nothing quite like cosying up under your duvet with a few nibbles, ready to delve into the latest true crime documentary on Netflix. Recent figures from the streaming giant reveal the popularity of the genre, with American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden and Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders both making the Top 10. And who could overlook the impact of Making A Murderer and American Murder: Gabby Petito, sparking countless theories and debates across various platforms like Reddit. If you're searching for your next true crime documentary to binge this weekend, we've got you sorted with seven of our top choices - but they're not for the faint-hearted. American Murder: The Family Next Door This 2020 documentary recounts the true story of the Watts family murders, which occurred two years prior. Utilising archival footage from social media posts and text messages to home video footage and police recordings, it unravels the mystery that shrouded the family, revealing midway through that Chris Watts murdered his pregnant wife Shanann, and her two daughters, four-year-old Bella and three-year-old Celeste. Reports of their disappearances began when friends of Shanann contacted the police saying they'd not heard from her, but Chris quickly became a key part of the search, even appearing on TV to plead for their return. He claimed to have no idea of their whereabouts, but his lies and secrets began to unravel after a failed polygraph test. Viewers eventually discover the horrific events that transpired, after Chris murdered his wife and buried her in a grave at his workplace, where he also disposed of his two daughters' bodies in an oil tank. His motives were never definitively established, but he pleaded guilty to multiple counts of first-degree murder and was handed five life sentences without the possibility of parole, with three to be served consecutively. Don't F**k with Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer In 2019, Netflix released what might be its most terrifying documentary, which traced the true story of an online manhunt. It charted an amateur investigation by social media users into a series of animal cruelty acts committed by a Canadian pornstar named Luka Magnotta. In 2010, he shared a video of himself killing two kittens in a plastic bag by suffocating them with a vacuum cleaner. After witnessing the horrifying act when the video went viral, a Facebook group was created to try and gather evidence against him. However, matters took a darker turn when Magnotta evaded authorities and began to commit more serious crimes, culminating in the murder of Jun Lin. He posted the video of Lin's death online, and sent his body parts to various institutions including the headquarters of Canada's two major political parties. He fled to Europe but was apprehended in 2014 and convicted of Lin's murder. He was given a life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years. Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives. The four-part documentary, Bad Vegan, chronicles the rise and fall of Sarma Melngailis and Anthony Strangis, founders of Pure Food and Wine, and a married couple. Their New York City restaurant was a favourite among A-listers such as Bill Clinton and Alec Baldwin, and was known for its pioneering vegan cuisine. However, when Sarma married Anthony - who is actually named Shane Fox - her downfall and that of her restaurant began. Sarma claimed that her husband, a conman, manipulated her into stealing money from their business. He managed to convince her that he had lived for centuries and could grant her and her dog immortality. Eventually, he emptied her bank account and they both went on the run, only to be apprehended while ordering a non-vegan Domino's pizza. In 2017, Anthony admitted to charges of grand larceny, criminal tax fraud, and a scheme to defraud. He received a five-year probation sentence for stealing nearly $1,000,000 from the investors and employees of Pure Food and Wine. Sarma also confessed to stealing over $200,000 from an investor and scheming to defraud, in addition to facing criminal tax fraud charges. She was sentenced to almost four months in prison and filed for divorce from Anthony in 2018. The Tinder Swindler Netflix's The Tinder Swindler revealed the deceitful actions of Shimon Hayut, who impersonated Simon Leviev, the billionaire son of a diamond tycoon. The series follows three victims, Pernilla Sjoholm, Cecilie Fjellhøy and Ayleen Koeleman, as they join forces to uncover the true identity of a man who swindled them out of thousands of pounds to fund his extravagant lifestyle. He would whisk them away on romantic trips and lavish them with luxury, only to leave them drowning in debt. The Netflix programme suggests that Hayut hopped from one woman to another, stealing an estimated $10,000,000, while also being sought globally for various crimes. Following the airing of the series, Hayut maintained his innocence and refuted claims of fraud. It was later alleged that the real Leviev family were taking legal action against Hayut for defamation and invasion of privacy, after he impersonated the son of Israeli-Russian businessman Lev Leviev, even going to the extent of photoshopping himself into family photographs. Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare Sweet Bobby unveils one of the most shocking instances of catfishing - the twisted tale of Kirat Assi's ordeal. Based on a podcast bearing the same name, the Netflix series recounts how Kirat was deceived for over a decade. The actual individual behind the account - whom she believed to be a man named Bobby - wove a web of deceit, manipulating Kirat and their relationship, lying about health issues and creating multiple false personas to convince her she was interacting with a whole community of people acquainted with Bobby. Radio presenter Kirat's romantic illusions were shattered when she uncovered the truth about the man she believed she knew, only to find out he had a family and was oblivious to her existence. Her world fell apart upon discovering the true identity of the person who had catfished her for over ten years, but she found empowerment by taking legal action, as revealed in the Netflix series, and later pursued a civil lawsuit. Speaking to Metro about the ordeal, she expressed: "It's never gone away. It's always there. I hope by coming forward, other victims are not treated the same way." The Most Hated Man on the Internet Netflix's 2022 release, The Most Hated Man on the Internet, delves into the story of Hunter Moore, infamously dubbed the 'king of revenge porn'. Moore was the creator of a notorious 'revenge porn' site that encouraged users to upload images and videos, often containing nudity or explicit content, which reportedly included underage individuals and band members. Countless victims suffered as their private photos and social media details were disseminated online. The documentary series chronicles the downfall of Moore and his infamous website, culminating in his conviction and subsequent two-year imprisonment. After the series, he made some shocking comments including that he was "proud of what [he] created" and claimed: "I did do my time, I feel like I did pay my dues, and it wasn't all negative, and I had a great time and I would definitely do it over and over again, but I would do it in a different way and I would definitely take back any of the trauma that anybody suffered from the website or anything negative that happened through the site because back then I didn't understand it." Producers on the series also shared that Moore had initially agreed to be a part of the series before pulling out, but they were later glad to be able to share the story from the victims' narrative. Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey This instalment of Netflix's Cold Case series follows the mysterious death of JonBenét Ramsey, a six-year-old found dead in her parents' basement. On Boxing Day in 1996, her parents John and Patsy awoke to find her missing, and discovered a ransom note asking for $118,000. After contacting the police and searching their home, John found her body dead in the basement, but the investigation that followed sparked numerous questions. The Netflix show reveals the intricacies of the police case, and alleged mistakes made, as well as the media sensation around her death after controversy over her participation in child pageants, and the possible suspects.
Metro
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Netflix series racks up 17 million views in just four days to dominate top 10 chart
Link is copied Comments It's that time of the week again - when the weekend is looming and we start to plan which shows we want to binge-watch over the coming days. And while the warmer weather might be luring more of us away from our TV screens and out into the open, there's still plenty of goodies waiting for you on the streaming platform when you make it back to the sofa. This week's global top 10 sees the return of some familiar Netflix favourites, racking up millions of views as they make a splash in the charts. Read on for this week's top 10 most-watched TV shows (Picture: Getty Images) Kicking off this week's countdown is Netflix's latest true crime documentary - which, like most of them, has kept us all gripped. Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders explores the 1980s deaths that occurred in Chicago from cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules. Over the course of the doc, Netflix looks into multiple theories that could help solve the killings, plus tracks down a key suspect that could piece the case together (Picture: Netflix) With the new series of Ginny & Georgia landing on Netflix this week - and picking up rave reviews from fans - it's understandable that folk who are new to the series might want to catch up on what they've missed. Hence the reappearance of the first season of this popular show, about a free-spirited single mother and her troubled teenage daughter as they head to Massachusetts in search of a new life (Picture: NETFLIX) Another compelling true crime documentary making its way down the charts, this one explores the decades-long global fight to hunt down former al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden following the devastating events of September 11, 2001. The documentary features rare footage and interviews with CIA insiders who worked on the case (Picture: Netflix) K-drama is continuing to prove hugely popular on Netflix and this latest effort is a charming blend of romance, culture, and gourmet food. It centres around Han Beom-woo, an arrogant executive director at Seoul's top restaurant, and Mo Yeon-joo, a stubborn but passionate rural chef who runs a remote, one-table establishment. At first, the pair clash - but as you might expect, romance soon blossoms (Picture: Netflix) More drama from South Korea now, in the shape of the first new entry in this week's chart. Mercy For None is an action thriller about a former gangster who, 11 years after he left his gang and went into hiding, returns to the criminal underworld seeking revenge for his brother's murder. Based on the webtoon Plaza Wars, you can expect lots of gritty thrills and tense moments with this one (Picture: Jung Jae-gu/Netflix) The second newcomer in this week's chart is this Australian miniseries, based on the 2020 novel by crime writer Jane Harper. Set in Tasmania, it centres on a man who returns to his hometown with his family 15 years after a deadly storm killed three people he was close to. However when a young woman is murdered, his troubled past comes back to haunt him (Picture: Netflix) Another new entry now, this one from Italy and featuring Teresa Saponangelo and Claudia Gerini - best known for her role in John Wick: Chapter 2. The series centres on a former secret agent - the titular Sara - who is known for her crime-solving skills and ability to lipread. She puts those skills to the test when she returns to spycraft to investigate her son's mysterious death, unravelling a web of secrets about his life (Picture: Netflix) After reigning supreme in the top spot for a fortnight, this dark comedy drama is on its way down but still doing big business with viewers. Sirens focuses on a troubled young woman called Devon, who is struggling to care for her father, who has dementia. When her sister, Simone, doesn't answer her siren call for help, she tracks her down on a luxury island, where she's working for the enigmatic billionaire Michaela 'Kiki' Kell - but soon becomes concerned for her welfare (Picture: MACALL POLAY/NETFLIX) This new Scotland-set crime thriller is proving a big draw with Netflix viewers, with the show leaping up the charts in its second week of release. Matthew Goode takes the lead as Carl Morck, a former top-rated detective who lives in guilt after an attack left a policeman dead and his partner paralysed. After taking some time off to deal with the event, he is assigned to cold cases, only to be confronted with one that will take every ounce of his being to solve. Based on the book series by Danish writer Jussi Adler-Olsen, it's packed with twists and turns to keep you guessing (Picture: Netflix) Given the popularity of Ginny & Georgia it's no surprise to see the new series of the show crash straight into the charts at number one - with nearly twice as many viewers as its nearest rival. Although given that series two ended on a cliffhanger involving a wedding, the police and a murder, it's understandable you would have tuned in in your millions to find out what happens next. We won't spoil it for you but with Georgia's past threatening to catch up with her, Ginny's life just got a lot more complicated. And with a fourth series already confirmed, there's even more drama to come (Picture: Amanda Matlovich/Netflix)
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Netflix documentary sheds new light on Tylenol murders of 1982
CHICAGO (WGN) – In 1982, seven Chicagoland residents died out of the blue after taking Tylenol capsules that were laced with cyanide. Decades later, investigators are still baffled. Now, a new Netflix documentary, 'Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders,' looks to unpack the cold case and shine a new light on the investigation. On Sept. 28, 1982, 12-year-old Mary Kellerman from Elk Grove Village was hospitalized after taking one Extra-Strength Tylenol capsule. She died the following day. That same day (Sept. 29, 1982), 27-year-old postal worker Adam Janus of Arlington Heights died of what was initially believed to have been a heart attack, but officials later attributed his death to cyanide poisoning. His brother Stanley, 27, and sister-in-law Theresa, 19, both of Lisle went to Adam's home to be with loved ones after Adam's death when they experienced intense headaches. They each took Extra-Strength Tylenol capsules from the same bottle Adam used earlier in the day to soothe their symptoms. 40 years after Tylenol Murders terrified nation, new information shows case is still being investigated Stanley died later that day, while Theresa died two days later, according to authorities. Over the next few days, 35-year-old Mary McFarland of Elmhurst, 35-year-old Paula Prince of Chicago, and 27-year-old Mary Weiner of Winfield all died after taking Tylenol capsules laced with cyanide. At the time, Tylenol was the most popular, best-selling non-prescription pain reliever in the United States. One reason was because the capsules were reportedly gelatin-laced, making them slick and easy to swallow. In early October of 1982, investigators determined the seven victims all swallowed a Tylenol capsule laced with a lethal dose of cyanide. At that time, Tylenol was made by McNeil Consumer Products, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson. As investigators attributed the deaths to Tylenol capsules laced with cyanide, McNeil Consumer Products issued a mass warning and immediately called for a monumental recall of over 31 million bottles of Tylenol in circulation. Investigators reportedly found tainted capsules in some grocery stores and pharmacies in Chicagoland, but those capsules had not yet been sold or consumed. McNeil Consumer Products and Johnson & Johnson offered replacement capsules to anyone who turned in pills they already purchased and a reward for anyone with information leading to the arrest of the person(s) involved in the poisoning. As the investigation went on, Johnson & Johnson determined the cyanide lacing happened after bottles of Tylenol left their factory. Police thought someone had to have gone to the grocery store and/or pharmacy, taken the bottles off the shelves, laced them with cyanide and then went back to the store and put the laced bottles back on the shelves where the unknowing victims bought them. Arrests made in decades-old Kenosha County cold case No. No one has ever been formally charged in connection with the deaths, but one man peaked the interest and suspicion of investigators: James Lewis. After a nationwide manhunt, authorities arrested Lewis in 1982. He served over 12 years in prison for sending an extortion letter to Johnson & Johnson in which he demanded $1 million to 'stop the killing.' Following his arrest, Lewis reportedly gave investigators a very detailed explanation as to how the person responsible for the murders might have operated before admitting to having written and sent to extortion letter to Johnson & Johnson. Lewis claimed he never planned on getting any money by sending the letter and instead wanted to shine a bad light on his wife's former employer. While serving his prison sentence, he told the Associated Press the detailed explanation as to how the suspect might have operated was just an assumption about the suspect's actions. He called the suspect 'a heinous, cold-blooded killer, a cruel monster.' Police and federal investigators later determined Lewis was living in New York City at the time of the poisonings, although he briefly lived in Chicago in the early 1980s. Lewis was released from prison in 1995 and he and his wife then moved to Massachusetts. Illinois authorities reopened the investigation in 2009, prompting FBI investigators to go to Lewis' Massachusetts home where they took his computer and other belongings. Reports said Lewis provided DNA samples to the FBI in 2010. He died on July 9, 2023, at the age of 76. Netflix announces new subtitle option: How it works In 1983, Congress passed 'the Tylenol Bill,' which made it a federal crime to tamper with consumer products. Then in 1989, the Food and Drug Administration put forth federal guidelines for manufacturers to follow to make consumer products tamper-proof. 'Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders' is available to stream on Netflix. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Who Was the Tylenol Serial Killer? Revisiting the Terrifying True Story of Netflix's' Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders'
In 1982, seven people died in Chicago after ingesting cyanide-laced Tylenol James Lewis, who died in 2023, was considered a primary suspect for decades, though he was never charged in connection with the crime In May 2025, Netflix released a docuseries titled Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders, featuring LewisIt's been over 40 years since the Tylenol serial killer triggered a nationwide panic after seven people in the Chicago area ingested poisoned pain medication and were left dead. Over the course of just over 48 hours, victims between the ages of 12 and 35 suffered cardiac arrest immediately after taking Tylenol capsules that had unknowingly been laced with lethal doses of cyanide. As each victim was hospitalized, medical professionals worked around the clock to uncover what had caused their sudden deaths. It was the joint effort of a fire lieutenant, a public health official and an ICU doctor who connected that all the patients had taken the pain killer just before their death. Given their symptoms, the doctor concluded that the victims had exhibited signs of cyanide poisoning, and lab tests quickly proved his theory correct, per the Chicago Tribune. The swift thinking of emergency personnel helped expedite the process to inform the public and save the lives of many other potential victims. But just who was behind the murders was a mystery — and the case remains unsolved to this day. While James Lewis, a man who sent a ransom letter to Tylenol manufacturer Johnson & Johnson shortly after the murders, has been a primary suspect for the past 40 years, he was never charged with the crime. Although he did spend time behind bars for extortion, he maintained his innocence until the day he died in 2023. Now, the Tylenol murders are being revisited in the Netflix documentary Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders, which is currently streaming and features interviews with Lewis. So what happened during the Tylenol murders? Here's everything to know about the crimes and decades-long investigation. In September 1982, numerous people in the Chicago area died under mysterious circumstances over the span of just a few days — and their deaths were eventually linked to Tylenol capsules that had been contaminated with cyanide. The incident led to mass panic from the public surrounding over-the-counter medication. Within hours of contaminated medication being discovered, news spread around the Chicago area. News publications and radio stations extensively covered the poisonings to spread the word before more people could be impacted. Police officers drove through neighborhoods and used bullhorns to tell the public to throw out their Tylenol. Public health officials went door-to-door with flyers. Tylenol was quickly pulled from shelves around Chicago, per the Chicago Tribune, eventually leading to a nationwide recall of Tylenol products. In total, seven people were killed by ingesting contaminated Tylenol, although there may have been other unknown victims. The casualties included a child as well as three members of the same family: Mary Kellerman, 12, Adam Janus, 27, Stanley Janus, 25, Theresa 'Terri' Janus, 20, Mary McFarland, 31, Paula Prince, 35, and Mary Reiner, 27. The first death linked to the Tylenol poisonings was 12-year-old Mary Kellerman, who collapsed at home and was pronounced dead just hours after ingesting a laced capsule, per the Chicago Tribune. Later that day, Adam Janus, a 27-year-old mailman, also died shortly after being hospitalized. His death was initially ruled a heart attack, according to CBS News, but what happened in the days that followed alerted medical professionals that foul play may have been involved. Just hours after Adam was pronounced dead, his brother Stanley and his wife Terri visited his home to begin making funeral plans. Not feeling well, they each took Tylenol capsules from the bottle that had unknowingly caused Adam's death. They both immediately began experiencing chest pains and collapsed. It was Fire Lt. Chuck Kramer who recognized that just that morning, authorities had responded to a similar emergency at the same address. Believing the incidents were linked and could have affected other members of the family, he ordered everyone else in the house to be quarantined at the hospital. He then contacted Arlington Heights' only public health official, Helen Jensen, to begin an investigation into the deaths, per the Chicago Tribune. After interviewing family members, Jensen concluded that all three people had taken Tylenol shortly before their deaths. She later went to the Janus family home and picked up the bottle of Tylenol, realizing that it was a new bottle that had only been used by the three family members. She brought it back to the Cook County medical examiner's office and declared that there must be something wrong with the pills. She was initially ignored. Meanwhile, others were coming to the same conclusion. Dr. Thomas Kim, who was treating the Janus family, told Lt. Kramer that he believed the deaths were caused by something they had all ingested. Later that night, when Lt. Kramer spoke to a firefighter on the scene of Kellerman's death, he learned that the little girl had also taken Tylenol — and they began putting things together. When Dr. Kim learned of the connection, he began brainstorming what could have caused such a sudden onset of symptoms. After consulting with poison experts, he concluded that the effects of cyanide matched up with the victims' sudden cardiac arrest. Unable to run tests at his hospital, he sent two vials of blood from Stanley and Terri to a 24-hour lab via a taxi cab. With the information from Dr. Kim, the medical examiner's office began to look into the Tylenol bottles from the Janus and Kellerman households. With just a smell test, an investigator could tell there was cyanide inside. The county's chief toxicologist began to run tests on the Tylenol capsules and quickly realized that some of the pills contained nearly three times the amount needed to kill someone. Shortly after, lab results confirmed that Stanley and Terri — as well as several other victims — had died from acute cyanide poisoning. No one has ever been charged for the deaths resulting from the tainted medication, and the identity of the Tylenol serial killer remains unknown. However, Lewis has long been considered the primary suspect. In the midst of the investigation surrounding the contaminated Tylenol bottles, authorities uncovered that Lewis had sent a ransom letter to Tylenol's parent company, Johnson & Johnson, demanding $1 million in order to 'stop the killing,' according to the Associated Press. He immediately became a suspect in the case. At the time, Lewis was described by police as a 'chameleon,' living across several states and using at least 20 aliases. He worked numerous different jobs, including computer specialist, tax accountant, importer of Indian tapestries and salesman of jewelry, pharmaceutical machinery and real estate, per AP. He also had a history of trouble with the law. Several years prior to the poisonings, he had been accused of murdering and dismembering Raymond West, who had been one of his accounting clients. The charges were ultimately dropped because West's cause of death was not determined and some evidence had been illegally obtained. Then, in 1981, Lewis was convicted of mail fraud as part of a credit card scheme, using the name of a former tax client to illegally obtain 13 credit cards. Around that time, he also sent a letter to then-President Ronald Reagan, threatening to kill him with a remote-controlled plane, per UPI. Given his troubled past and his letter to Johnson & Johnson, authorities began an intensive investigation into Lewis's involvement in the crime. Lewis was never convicted of murdering the seven people who died after ingesting the contaminated medication, but remained a primary suspect for the majority of his life. During early interviews with Lewis, he denied involvement in the poisonings but confessed to writing the extortion letter to Johnson & Johnson. The letter referenced how 'easy' it could be to contaminate medication and said it could take him 'less than 10 minutes per bottle.' While he did not admit to contaminating the Tylenol, he did offer an explanation as to how he believed the crime took place. He told authorities that the culprit was likely to have bought the Tylenol and then later added the cyanide and returned the bottles to store shelves. In the years that followed, he said he offered the explanation because he was treating the investigation as he would a business situation. 'I was doing like I would have done for a corporate client, making a list of possible scenarios,' he told AP in 1992. He called the killer 'a heinous, cold-blooded killer, a cruel monster.' Lewis was not able to be linked to the tainted bottles through forensic testing, and he could not be placed in Chicago at the time of the crime. Despite the suspicion surrounding him, there was not enough evidence to convict Lewis. He was never charged with murder but did go to trial on charges of extortion stemming from the ransom letter he wrote to Johnson & Johnson. In June 1984, he was convicted of extortion and sentenced to 10 years in prison, per The New York Times. Over the past four decades, authorities have continued to investigate the Tylenol serial killer case. On several occasions, they have come up with leads, with many seemingly pointing back to Lewis. Around 2007, further investigation was prompted by authorities who wanted a 'complete review of all evidence developed in connection' with the poisonings with the benefit of advances in forensic technology. During an undercover sting operation, Lewis confessed that it had taken him three days to write the extortion letter, per the Chicago Tribune. Using advanced technology, investigators were able to uncover that the letter had an Oct. 1, 1982, postmark — meaning that Lewis began writing the letter before news of the poisoned Tylenol was made public. When Lewis was presented with the information, he recanted his statement, claiming to have a 'faulty memory.' In the years that followed, the FBI met with or had phone conversations with Lewis at least 34 times, according to CBS News. The FBI also obtained fresh samples of his DNA and fingerprints, but they did not match any of the DNA recovered on the contaminated bottles. Authorities also raided Lewis' suburban Boston condo and storage locker, seizing a laptop among other items. They also collected a poison handbook that Lewis had in his home prior to moving to Chicago in 1981, per the Chicago Tribune. Investigators even found Lewis' fingerprints on pages that discussed how much cyanide would be needed to kill someone. Lewis continued to deny his involvement in the crime, and authorities were unable to charge Lewis with murder. In July 2023, Lewis died at the age of 76. Police in Cambridge, Mass., told PEOPLE that Lewis was found unresponsive in his home and was pronounced dead shortly after. 'Following an investigation, Lewis' death was determined to be not suspicious,' police added. After the news was made public, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Margolis, who had prosecuted Lewis for extortion, told the Chicago Tribune and CBS News Chicago that he 'was saddened to learn of James Lewis' death' — not because of the death itself but because Lewis 'didn't die in prison.' However, before his death, Lewis was interviewed for the 2025 Netflix docuseries about the case. He continued to deny his involvement in the poisonings, saying, "They make it look like I'm the world's most horrible, dangerous person ever ... and I wouldn't hurt anybody." Read the original article on People
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Netflix got the first and only interview with the chief suspect of the Tylenol murders by promising to treat him as a human being
James Lewis was accused of being the Tylenol murderer, but denied the charges and wasn't convicted. He gave his first and only full interview in Netflix's "Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders." The filmmakers said they had to build trust with Lewis by promising to treat him as a human being. Netflix's "Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders" features chief suspect James Lewis' first and only interview, where he addresses the allegations made against him — including that he killed seven people in 1982. That year, cyanide-laced Tylenol was distributed in Chicago, leading to the pharmaceutical industry introducing tamper seals to certain products. The docuseries also includes interviews with family members of some of the victims. Joseph Janus recalled the moment he heard that his brother, Adam Janus, had died: "I got a phone call, they said my brother Adam had a heart attack. I said 'What are you talking about? He's a very healthy person.' They said: 'He's dead and we can do nothing for him.' I almost passed out, I was in shock." Lewis, who died in 2023, was arrested but not convicted and denied the allegations. But he admitted to writing a ransom letter to Johnson & Johnson, the manufacturer of Tylenol, for $1 million. He later claimed it was an attempt to point the authorities at his wife's former boss for unpaid wages. Lewis was convicted of extortion in 1983 for writing the letter and served 10 years in prison. Author Nicholas Mennuti, who wrote "The Tylenol Murders" book and features in the three-part true crime series, compared the Lewis case to the gangster Al Capone, who was suspected of committing more serious crimes than he was convicted of. "They make it look like I'm the world's most horrible, dangerous person ever... and I wouldn't hurt anybody," Lewis says at the end of the first episode, seemingly referring to the authorities and the media. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, co-director Yotam Guendelman praised the show's producer Molly Forrester for convincing Lewis to take part. Guendelman said that Forrester told Lewis: "'You're a human being. We want to talk to you as a human being — even if you did all of this horrible stuff.'" adding, "She just sort of got his trust." The documentarian said that Lewis was cautious about being interviewed, but Forrester's "intimate rapport" helped him open up. "There was something in him that wanted to say what he wanted to say, for many years. Having people basically trying to get you for 40 years, I guess also makes you want to talk and enjoy this attention," Guendelman said. Ari Pines, the show's co-director, said they also aimed to shed light on the other cases connected to Lewis with "The Tylenol Murders." "We didn't do this interview just to get a confession out of [Lewis], but to really confront him about all the hard questions about this case and the other cases that he was suspected of in the past," Pines told The Hollywood Reporter. Lewis was also connected with other criminal cases and was charged but not convicted of killing a truck driver called Raymond West in 1978. Episode three also states that he was accused of aggravated rape after allegedly kidnapping a young woman, but that the supposed victim dropped the charges. In the docuseries, Lewis said: "I did not kidnap her. There was no evidence that I had ever been with her or touched her in any way, shape, or form, not even shaking hands." Read the original article on Business Insider
