The one and only suspect in the 1982 Chicago Tylenol poisonings that killed seven people was found dead in his suburban home outside of Boston on Sunday.
James Lewis, 76, was never charged with the deaths of seven people who died ingesting potassium cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules, but he was convicted in connection to the crime for attempting to extort $1 million from Tylenol maker Johnson and Johnson, ABC7 Chicago reported. He served a 13-year prison sentence and was released from prison in October 1995, the Chicago Tribune reported.
Authorities have not given up on solving the more than 40-year-old case. Just last fall, Lewis was questioned by local investigators with the intention of bringing new charges to the case.
Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Margolis prosecuted Lewis for attempted extortion and said he was disappointed to hear of Lewis’ passing. “I was saddened to learn of James Lewis’ death,” Margolis said. “Not because he’s dead, but because he didn’t die in prison.”
After news broke of the deaths, Lewis wrote to Johnson & Johnson asking for money in order to “stop the killing.” After being convicted for attempted extortion, Lewis worked with authorities. He drew “detailed sketches showing ways of filling the capsules and providing flowcharts on how to carry out the poisonings without getting caught,” all the while denying his involvement.
During a 2007-08 FBI undercover operation, Lewis said it took him three days to craft the letter. The FBI determined that the letter was postmarked on October 1, 1982 — just a day before the poisonings made news. This means that Lewis started the letter before the seven deaths became public.
Lewis was married to a woman named Leann. The couple had a child named Toni who passed away at five years old in 1974. Authorities believe Lewis’ motive stems from her death after the sutures used to fix her congenital heart defect tore.
“The sutures were made by Ethicon, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson.”
The Tylenol poisonings led manufacturers to create tamper-resistant packaging.
