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Suspected serial killer James Lewis was found dead in his Cambridge Massachusetts home on Sunday, July 9. Lewis is best known as the primary person of interest in the 1982 Chicago tylenol murders. Authorities believe that the suspect was allegedly responsible for at least seven fatal poisonings between September and October 1982.
The killer would supposedly lace tylenol-branded products with potassium cyanide, leading to either severe health issues or death. Authorities stated that no foul play is suspected in Lewis' demise.
Trigger warning: This article concerns a suspected serial killer, reader discretion is advised.
While authorities never confirmed that James Lewis was the tylenol killer, he was reportedly convicted of a related extortion case. Shortly after the poisoning spree, he allegedly wrote an extortion letter to tylenol manafacturer Johnson & Johnson, threatening to continue poisoning victims unless he recieved $1 million. Until his death, Lewis denied any involvement in the poisonings.
All there is to know about James Lewis
Born in 1947, James Lewis was identified by authorities as a con-artist and suspected serial killer. For over 4 decades, he was the primary suspect in the tylenol killing spree.
According to the Chicago Tribune, certain investigators believed that the poisonings were a revenge mission against Johnson&Johnson. The story dates back to Lewis' daughter, Toni, who had a congenital heart defect. She died in 1974 after the sutures used for her heart allegedly tore. The Tribute noted that the sutures had been sourced by Ethicon, a subsidiary company owned by Johnson&Johnson.
The first tylenol poisoning incident occured on September 28, 1982. The victim, 12-year-old Mary Kellerman, died one day after consuming extra-strong tylenol. Over the next month, six more victims similarly passed away. The deceased were identified as Adam Janus (27), Stanley Janus (25), Theresa Janus (20), Mary McFarland (31), Paula Prince (35), and Mary Reiner (27). A doctor probing the spree of deaths realised that the tylenol bottles had been laced with cyanide.
Days after the killing spree, Lewis reportedly sent Johnson&Johnson a letter outlining his demands. Upon being arrested, he told authorities how the suspected serial killer poisoned the bottles. He also claimed that he could help in the investigation, but denied any involvement beyond the attempted extortion.
In 2009, court documents showed that officials were confident that Lewis committed the murders; however, there was not sufficient evidence to convict him.
Former Chicago US attorney Anton Valukas commented on the case to the Boston Channel, stating:
"I believe that the evidence which was out there would lead a rational person to conclude that Lewis was, in fact, the murderer."
However, James Lewis' lawyer, Mike Monico, claimed that the murders appeared to be the work of a team or an organisation, stating:
"They never gave us any evidence showing his link to the murders -- just the opposite. From the evidence, it seemed like it was difficult for one person to have done this."
The tylenol killings reportedly inspired many copycat cases. In 1986, three people died due to poisoned gelatin tablets.
