Latest news with #TylenolMurders
Buzz Feed
16-07-2025
- Buzz Feed
What Are Old True Crime Stories No One Knows Now?
People have been obsessed with true crime forever. In fact, if you grew up before the internet was a ~thing~, you probably remember how certain crime stories would sweep the nation either by word of mouth, good ol' fashioned newspapers, or by being on TV CONSTANTLY. Like, EVERYONE and their mom knew about them! And maybe you're shocked to find out that some of those crime stories that were a big deal back then seem to have all but been forgotten since. For example, if you were around in the '70s, you probably recall the widespread media coverage of serial killer Ted Bundy's case. You remember how soooo many young women were obsessed with Ted, despite the fact that he kidnapped, raped, and murdered at least 30 young women and girls. Meanwhile, your 22-year-old neighbor has no idea who you're talking about. Or, perhaps, you were in school in the '90s and remember coming home every day to your parents talking nonstop about the terrible story of Polly Klaas, a little girl who was kidnapped and murdered. But when you bring up the story now to your younger coworkers, they just shrug their shoulders. Maybe as a kid growing up in the '80s, you recall your mom throwing out all the medicine containers in your house as the story of the Tylenol Murders, where seven people died after ingesting cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules, unfolded. And when you look at safety packaging on EVERYTHING now, you can't resist but tell your kids about WHY it's there. Whatever your experience was, we want to hear all about it! So, tell us, what's a true crime story from "back in the day" that everyone was obsessed with that ~young people~ now might not have any idea about? Tell us in the comments below or via this totally anonymous form and your story could be featured in a future BuzzFeed post or video!
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
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What's new to streaming this week? (May 30, 2025)
All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. Looking for something great to watch at home? Streaming subscribers are spoiled for choice between Hulu, Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, Apple TV+, Prime Video, Shudder, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. And that's before you even look at the vast libraries of movies and television programs within each one! Don't be overwhelmed or waste an hour scrolling through your services to determine what to watch. We've got your back, whatever your mood. Mashable offers watch guides for all of the above, broken down by genre: comedy, thriller, horror, documentary, and animation, among others. But if you're seeking something brand-new (or just new-to-streaming), we've got you covered there, too. Mashable's entertainment team has scoured the streaming services to highlight the most buzzed-about releases of this week and ranked them from worst to best — or least worth your time to most-watchable. Whether you're in the mood for twisted true crime tales, romantic misadventures, a tech bro drama, a twenty-something buddy comedy, or superhero action, we've got something just for you. Here's what's new on streaming, from worst to best. Cold Case is an ongoing true crime franchise focusing on unsolved mysteries, like the JonBenét Ramsey murder. The latest iteration focuses on the Tylenol murders, the name given to the bizarre incident when seven people in Chicago died from cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules. In this three-part documentary, directors Yotam Guendelman and Ari Pines speak to family members of the victims, giving a fuller understanding of the losses from this strange crime. Archival footage traces how the media covered the story, chasing down suspects. Amid the breadth of this doc's story, there will also be graphic images of a dead body, so brace yourself. While the content is disturbing and heart-breaking, the series itself is frustratingly slow. Netflix has been accused of stretching out such shocking stories over multiple episodes to keep viewers logged on. And Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders feels like it's stalling for time more than probing the topic. —Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor How to watch: Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders is now streaming on Netflix. A more successful true crime mini-series is The Mortician, which perhaps is no surprise as HBO has a history of producing great true crime docs, like The Jinx, Mind Over Murder, and I'll Be Gone in the Dark. SEE ALSO: The 30 best true crime documentaries on Max right now Told over three episodes, The Mortician focus on the horrific tale of David Sconce, whose work at his family's funeral home in the Los Angeles area made him infamous. Sconce did not do his duty to the dead or their grieving families. One particularly egregious example of Sconce's unethical behavior? He cremated bodies simultaneously, meaning their ashes would be mixed together; loved ones were presented with urns most likely holding a mixture of strangers' cremains. In The Mortician's first episode, Sconce defends himself to director Joshua Rofé, and you get a taste of his argument in the trailer. It won't make this doc any easier to stomach, and some of the footage of remains are gut-wrenching on their own. Be warned, the story gets wilder each episode, as do Sconce's excuses. — K.P. How to watch: The Mortician debuts on HBO Max on June 1, with new episodes premiering June 8 and 15 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Alafair Burke's crime novel The Better Sister gets the TV treatment with Jessica Biel and Elizabeth Banks in the lead. In the new eight-part series from Prime Video, the pair play estranged sisters Chloe (Biel) and Nicky (Banks), whose reunion comes after Chloe's husband, Adam (Corey Stoll), is brutally murdered. But there's more going on under the surface here, as Adam is actually also Nicky's ex, who married her sister and lived with her along with Nicky's teen son Ethan (Maxwell Acee Donovan). Bit awkward. Suffice to say tensions are high. Chloe and Nicky must wade into family secrets as detectives Nancy Guidry (Kim Dickens) and Matt Bowen (Bobby Naderi) investigate his death, and the sisters try to keep the press off their lawn.* — Shannon Connellan, UK Editor Starring: Jessica Biel, Elizabeth Banks, Corey Stoll, Kim Dickens, Maxwell Acee Donovan, Bobby Naderi, Gabriel Sloyer, Gloria Reuben, Matthew Modine, and Lorraine Toussaint How to watch: The Better Sister premieres May 29 on Prime Video. And just like that... there's a third season of the Sex and the City reboot. After those major cameos, anti-Android sentiments, strangely minimal use of Carrie Bradshaw's (Sarah Jessica Parker) voiceover, and big moments of the finale, And Just Like That... Season 2 threw a lot at us. Season 3 picks up in the summer, with Carrie enjoying her new place in Gramercy Park — and narrating again! Things between her and Aidan (John Corbett) remain fairly undefined, but anything's possible in New York in the summer, right?* — S.C. Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis, Mario Cantone, Sarita Choudhury, Evan Handler, David Eigenberg, Nicole Ari Parker, John Corbett, Sebastiano Pigazzi, Dolly Wells, Mehcad Brooks, Jonathan Cake, and Logan Marshall-Green How to watch: And Just Like That... Season 3 premieres May 29 on HBO Max. Succession creator Jesse Armstrong makes his feature directorial debut with Mountainhead, which he also wrote. In a plot that seems ripped from the headlines, Mountainhead follows four wealthy tech bros — played by Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Ramy Youssef, and Cory Michael Smith — who are on a snowy mountain retreat. In the middle of crowing about their net worths and playing poker, they learn about worldwide catastrophes occurring as a result of new AI technology. Will they, as tech pioneers, take accountability for their role in the disaster? Or will they take advantage of the chaos for their own gain? In classic Succession style, Mountainhead is full of devastating one-liners and loathable wealthy characters. Yet Armstrong's dialogue, usually so fine-tuned, gets frustratingly clunky at times here, losing any subtlety as the movie tries to stay current. Thankfully, things pick up in the film's third act, which becomes a much darker, more personal crime caper. That switch-up brings Mountainhead a few inches out of Succession's shadow, but it still can't quite match that show's highs. — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter Starring: Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Ramy Youssef, and Cory Michael Smith How to watch: Mountainhead premieres May 31 at 8 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max. The Queen's Gambit creator Scott Frank is back with another thriller, this time swapping chess for cold case crime. Dept. Q follows DCI Carl Morck (Matthew Goode), a troubled detective given his own department and tasked with investigating the old disappearance of a missing woman. From the looks of the trailer, this one will be equal parts crime, thriller and drama, with a dash of comedy thrown in too. —Sam Haysom, Deputy UK Editor Starring: Matthew Goode, Kelly Macdonald, Kate Dickie, Alexej Manvelov, and Leah Byrne How to watch: Dept. Q debuts on Netflix May 29. The latest Captain America movie stars Anthony Mackie as Sam Wilson, who not only carries the iconic shield but also the responsibility to fight the American president (Harrison Ford) when he goes Red Hulk. Pulling from the threads of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and The Incredible Hulk, this complicated sequel is overstuffed with story, and plagued by an underwhelming supervillain (Tim Blake Nelson). But critics — including myself — were more bothered by how the MCU seemed to go out of their way to make a Captain America movie that has nothing to say. SEE ALSO: All the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, ranked worst to best As I wrote in my review of Captain America: Brave New World, "The MCU could have given Sam Wilson a movie that boldly explored what it means to be a Captain America right now, especially to a Black man... Rather than a provocative political discussion as seen in Black Panther, Captain America: Brave New World limply pursues concepts of redemption and honor. It's safe and frankly boring." — K.P. Starring: Anthony Mackie, Danny Ramirez, Shira Haas, Carl Lumbly, Xosha Roquemore, Giancarlo Esposito, Liv Tyler, Tim Blake Nelson, and Harrison Ford How to watch: Captain America: Brave New World debuts on Disney+ on May 28. When a police officer and his faithful canine companion are spliced together, crime-fighting hero Dog Man is the inevitable (and deeply silly) result. Based on Dav Pilkey's children's graphic novel series of the same name, Dog Man brings together a big name cast to tell the story of our titular hero attempting to catch a supervillain (yep, it's a cat) hellbent on terrorising the city. Written and directed by Peter Hastings, Dog Man is a spinoff of Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie. — S.H. .Starring: Pete Davidson, Lil Rel Howery, Isla Fisher, and Ricky Gervais How to watch: Dog Man debuts on Peacock on May 30. To celebrate its 40th anniversary, anime classic Vampire Hunter D is returning to streaming. Based on the first novel in Hideyuki Kikuchi's long-running novel series, the movie follows Doris Lang (Michie Tomizawa), the daughter of a werewolf hunter who gets bitten by an ancient vampire. She hires a hunter known as D (Kaneto Shiozawa) to track the thing down and kill it in order to stop herself from turning into one as well. — S.H. Starring: Kaneto Shiozawa, Michie Tomizawa, and Yûsaku Yara How to watch: Vampire Hunter D debuts on Shudder on May 30. In the mood for a fun hangout sitcom? Then check out Adults, FX's latest comedy offering. Created by Ben Kronengold and Rebecca Shaw (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon), the series centers on a group of five twenty-somethings living together in Queens, where they weather the perils of early adulthood. Everything from health insurance scares to career trouble is on the table, along with the occasional touch of absurdity that makes Adults more Broad City than Friends. By putting a Gen-Z twist on the hangout sitcom formula, Adults embraces the mess of modern-day young adulthood, and the result, as I wrote in my review for Mashable, is "chaotic, heartfelt, and current." The show also boasts an incredible ensemble — Malik Elassal, Lucy Freyer, Amita Rao, Owen Thiele, and Jack Innanen — who gel instantly. Come for Adults' many cringe comedy hijinks, stay for the cast's superb chemistry. — B.E. Starring: Malik Elassal, Lucy Freyer, Amita Rao, Owen Thiele, and Jack Innanen How to watch: All episodes of Adults are now streaming on Hulu. (*) denotes that a blurb has been repurposed from a previous list.
Daily Mail
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Netflix fans left chilled to the bone after 'absolutely insane' documentary on one of the most 'haunting' cold cases in US history
Netflix fans have been left chilled to the bone after an 'absolutely insane' documentary on one of the most 'haunting' cold cases in US history. Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders, released on the streamer on May 26, dives into the mysterious deaths of seven people in the Chicago area in 1982. They all lost their lives after ingesting Tylenol pills laced with cyanide - but to this day, no one knows how the painkillers were contaminated or by whom. The chilling case sent ripples across the US at the time, making lasting change to the pharmaceutical industry - including to the way pill bottles are sealed, Metro reports. With an exclusive interview with the man who was the main suspect for more than 40 years, the three-part documentary has gripped Netflix fans, who praised it on X. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. One said: 'I'm always drawn to true stories and this documentary dives deep into one of the most chilling unsolved cases in American history. 'Real events, real victims and haunting questions that still linger. Highly recommended! Do watch!' Another added: 'This Tylenol documentary on Netflix is absolutely insane.' Someone else similarly said: 'The Tylenol documentary on Netflix is absolutely nuts. Well worth a watch.' One user added: 'This event changed everything in our daily lives as much as anything, including Covid. 'Every single package that we buy in a store was forced to be more secure and tamper resistant. The cost over the years is in the billions, if not trillions.' Congress passed the Tylenol Bill the year after the murders happened - which meant it became a federal crime to tamper with consumer products. Tylenol manufacturer Johnson & Johnson introduced, with the Food and Drug Administration, new kinds of packaging, such as foil seals, to make any attempts to tamper with pills more obvious. With an exclusive interview with the man who was the main suspect for more than 40 years, the three-part documentary has gripped Netflix fans, who praised it on X This was soon rolled out across all over-the-counter medications, the Guardian reports. Johnson & Johnson also introduced the film-coated smaller 'caplet', which was more tamper-proof than other kinds of tablets. The series incorporates interviews with journalists and police officers who have worked on the case, as well as people who knew the victims. It tries to offer up an explanation as to why the eighties case is still cold after all this time. One of the most compelling aspects of the series, made by Yotam Guendelman and Ari Pines, is an interview with the man police long believed was behind the deaths. James W Lewis sent a letter to drug company Johnson & Johnson at the time of the killings, demanding $1million - or more people would die. The letter seemed to take responsibility for the deaths - and the New York City resident was convicted of extortion, rather than murder, and jailed for 12 years. This documentary saw him speak out at length for the first time, as he explains how he could not possibly have been behind the deaths. Producer Molly Forster fought for a year to get an interview with Lewis, who has largely avoided the press since he was released from prison 30 years ago, in 1995. Near the end of the series, he says, chuckling: 'I wouldn't hurt anybody. You can keep asking me questions forever and ever. 'If we ever do come up with a technology which allows you to read my mind, then you won't find anything in there that will be incriminating.' At another point in the programme, he jokes, holding a bottle of Tylenol pills, that he wants to avoid getting his fingerprints all over it. Lewis also addressed why he wrote the extortion letter to Johnson & Johnson. He said he was consumed by grief over his daughter's death after a patch in her heart, reportedly made by the pharmaceutical company, malfunctioned. The father explained he blamed Johnson & Johnson for her death. And his interview for the documentary turned out to be one of his last ever - as he died on July 9, 2023. American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden (pictured), released on the streamer on May 14, follows the pursuit and capture of the terrorist leader who planned the 9/11 attacks A follow-up to 2023's American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing, the three-part series (pictured) goes behind the scenes of the US government's counter-terrorism efforts at the time It comes after another high-quality Netflix documentary recently debuted, also to rave reviews. American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden, released on the streamer on May 14, follows the pursuit and capture of the terrorist leader who planned the 9/11 attacks. A follow-up to 2023's American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing, the three-part series goes behind the scenes of the US government's counter-terrorism efforts at the time. Directors Daniel Sivan and Mor Loushy use footage from the time and talking head interviews to let viewers in to the perspectives of decision makers - and show the tough calls they had to make. They told Netflix news site Tudum it is not about the war on terror but instead 'tells the story of the people tasked to find the world's most wanted terrorist and bring him to justice'. Some fans have already taken to X, Metro reports, to praise the portrayal of their manhunt that 'changed their lives, America and the world as we know it', as the directors said. One user said: 'American Manhunt Osama Bin Laden was a riveting documentary series. 'Just three episodes, most of which I've seen bits and pieces [of] over several documentaries/movies, but it was put together so well. 'Especially the third episode was nail-biting cinema. Hard-hitting, must-watch.'
Forbes
28-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Was James Lewis The Tylenol Killer? The Chilling True Story Behind Netflix's Docuseries
Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders Four decades after the Tylenol murders caused mass panic in Chicago and across the country, Netflix's new docuseries Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders is revisiting the unsolved case. What happened in one of the largest criminal investigations in U.S. history, and why has justice never been served? In 1982, seven people in the Chicago area died under the same mysterious circumstances: they had all taken Extra-Strength Tylenol. After testing, each of the capsules was found to be laced with potassium cyanide at toxic levels high enough to provide 'thousands of fatal doses,' Time Magazine reported. News of the poisoned capsules sparked fear among the six million residents of the Chicago area. Health officials quickly advised the public to stop using the over-the-counter medication, and authorities went door-to-door warning residents of the potential danger. From directors Yotam Guendelman and Ari Pines, Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders dives into the 'shocking theories and evidence, looks at new testimonies, and even gets inside the mind of a key suspect,' according to Netflix's Tudum. Read on for a deeper dive into the Tylenol Murders, including who the victims were, the main person of interest James Lewis, and what happened to Johnson & Johnson during the investigation. Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders The first victim was 12-year-old Mary Kellerman, whose parents gave her Tylenol after she complained of a cold. She died just hours later. Postal worker Adam Janus died later that morning after taking the pills for chest pain. While mourning his death, Adam's brother, Stanley, and Stanley's wife, Theresa, who were both suffering from headaches, also took Tylenol and died later that day. Another victim was 27-year-old Mary Reiner, who had just returned home after giving birth to her first child. Paula Prince, a 35-year-old United Airlines flight attendant, was also found dead in her apartment with an open Tylenol bottle nearby. Paramedics said there was so much cyanide on her lips that anyone who tried to resuscitate her might have been poisoned as well. The seventh victim was 31-year-old Mary McFarland of Elmhurst, who collapsed at work after taking Tylenol for a headache. A pathologist's test found cyanide in her blood, the New York Times reported at the time. The Netflix documentary notes that there could be more victims, as cyanide tests are rarely included in a standard autopsy toxicology screen unless there is a specific reason to suspect poisoning. For example, if an elderly person had ingested cyanide, the cause of death might have been harder to detect. American businessman and CEO of Johnson and Johnson, James Burke, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 1981. ... More (Photo by Brownie Harris/Corbis via Getty Images) In the early days of the investigation, Johnson & Johnson executives feared they might bear some responsibility for the murders, according to the Netflix docuseries. At the time, Tylenol was the pharmaceutical company's most profitable product. Illinois Attorney General Tyrone Fahner, who was interviewed in the series, recalled telling Johnson & Johnson to stop selling Tylenol – prompting what would become the largest product recall in history. While testing the contents of the Tylenol bottles, investigators noticed that some capsules had brown rings forming at the ends, evidence of cyanide corrosion. It became clear that the capsules had been pulled apart, emptied of their medicine, and refilled with cyanide. It was also revealed that the contaminated pills came from two different manufacturing plants, one in suburban Philadelphia and the other in Texas. After both facilities showed no evidence of cyanide tampering, investigators began to suspect that someone had tampered with the capsules after they reached store shelves. The tainted Tylenol bottles had been sold at various drugstores across the Chicago area. Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders Police had no major investigative leads, no connections between the victims, no witnesses, and no clear motive until October 6, 1982. Seven days after the murders, Johnson & Johnson received an extortion letter threatening that more people would be poisoned if certain demands were not met. The letter demanded that $1 million be deposited into an account at Chicago's Continental Bank or a second wave of killings would follow. Investigators believed the person who wrote the letter was likely involved, as he demonstrated specific knowledge about poison and how it works. The bank account was linked to a travel agency called Lakeside Travel, owned by Fred Miller McCahey, a wealthy businessman. McCahey told authorities he had recently gotten into a dispute with a volatile man named Robert Richardson, the husband of one of his employees, Nancy Richardson. Employees at the travel agency noted that the handwriting on the extortion letter resembled Robert's. Handwriting experts later confirmed that it was identical. After Robert and Nancy fled, authorities attempted to track him down using a photo published alongside an article he had written for the Chicago Tribune. Investigators also noted that he resembled the man seen in surveillance footage from the store where Mary McFarland had purchased the lethal Tylenol, per Cold Case. James Lewis in "Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders." David Barton, a former sergeant with the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, recalled seeing a photo of Richardson on the news and immediately sensing something was off. 'I looked at the picture, and I immediately recognized him, jumped up off the couch and said, 'Goddam it, that's not Robert Richardson,'' Barton told Netflix. 'That's not Robert Richardson… that's James Lewis.' Lewis, a tax consultant, became the police's prime suspect in the Tylenol murders. He also had a criminal history. In 1978, Lewis was charged with murder in Kansas City after police discovered the dismembered remains of one of his former clients, Raymond West, in bags in his attic. Authorities also found a forged check that Lewis tried to cash from West's account. However, charges were dropped after a judge ruled that the search of Lewis' home was illegal, according to In 2004, he was charged with rape and kidnapping, but the case was dropped. Lewis was interviewed for Netflix's docuseries, where he denied any involvement in the crimes. "They make it look like I'm the world's most horrible, dangerous person ever... and I wouldn't hurt anybody," Lewis said. Lewis was convicted of extortion for the letter and spent more than 12 years in federal prison. 'I did not consider it an extortion letter because I did not actually have access to making any money from that letter,' he told Netflix. Although officials found drafts of extortion letters in James Lewis's home, along with a book about poisonings, tying him directly to the Tylenol murders was difficult. He was never charged with the killings because authorities could not confirm that he was in the Chicago area during the murders. He had reportedly taken an Amtrak train to New York City and was staying in a hotel there, but police couldn't prove that he returned to Chicago. The FBI reopened the investigation in early 2009 and continued to focus on Lewis. They searched his office in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as well as a nearby storage unit he had rented. According to CBS News, in September 2022, members of the task force returned to Boston to re-interview him. Lewis passed away in 2023. IRVINE, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 17: The Johnson & Johnson logo is displayed at company offices on ... More October 17, 2023 in Irvine, California. Johnson & Johnson beat Wall Street's quarterly revenue and earnings estimates as sales in its pharmaceutical and medical devices businesses grew. (Photo by) Johnson & Johnson has denied that there was any chance their pills could have been tampered with at their factories, claiming that no cyanide was used in their facilities. However, as the documentary reveals, that turned out to be false. 'Cyanide is present and is used in crucial tests of the Tylenol,' former New York Times pharmaceutical reporter Gardiner Harris said in the series. He also pointed out that the company did most of the investigating themselves, even though they seemed to have 'every season to hide the extent of the contamination problems.' The documentary reveals that potassium cyanide was used it a quality control tests of Tylenol and was found in the vicinity of where the pills were assembled. In 1988, a court ruled that Johnson & Johnson wasn't liable for Diane Elsroth's death. The families of the Chicago victims also sued the company in 1983, claiming that the Johnson & Johnson knew that their bottles ould be tampered with. Johnson & Johnson settled the suit in 1991 and agreed to pay an undisclosed sum without admitting liability. "Though there is no way we could have anticipated a criminal tampering with our product or prevented it, we wanted to do something for the families and finally get this tragic event behind us," Robert Kniffin, a spokesman for Johnson & Johnson, said at the time. Bruce Pfaff, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, called the agreement 'a very favorable settlement for my clients.' Several of the families were seeking between $10 million and $15 million for wrongful death, pain and suffering, and funeral expenses, according to The New York Times. A worker checks the newly implemented safety seals on Tylenol bottles shortly after the company's ... More re-release of Tylenol capsules in 1982. A few months earlier, a Chicago man poisoned Tylenol with cyanide, killing several people. | Location: Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, USA. (Photo by �� Leif Skoogfors/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images) Johnson & Johnson was ultimately able to successfully re-launch Tylenol after the scare. The company overhauled its manufacturing process and introduced three separate safety seals to Tylenol packaging. First was an outer box with glued flaps. Second, a tight plastic neck seal covering the cap and neck of the bottle. And finally, a strong inner foil seal placed over the mouth of the bottle. Four years after the original murders, on February 8, 1986, Diane Elsroth of Yonkers, New York, died after taking Extra-Strength Tylenol capsules that were found to contain cyanide, even though the bottle had a triple safety seal. Johnson & Johnson claimed at the time that someone had penetrated all the seals, resecured them, and returned the bottles to the shelf. The Netflix documentary reported that two additional triple-sealed bottles of Tylenol were also found to contain the poison. Ultimately, the Westchester District Attorney was able to determine where the pills had been tampered with. In the aftermath of the Tylenol poisonings, other pharmaceutical and food companies began implementing tamper-proof seals and safety indicators during the manufacturing process. These changes significantly reduced the number of copycat incidents. 'Before 1982, nobody thought twice about opening a bottle of painkillers,' Guendelman and Pines told Tudum. 'Today, every tamper-proof seal is a reminder of that dark moment — when cyanide-laced capsules transformed an everyday medicine into a murder weapon, permanently reshaping consumer industries." Watch the official trailer for Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders below.
