If author and one-time Chicago resident James Lewis is in fact the Tylenol killer (ABC Chicago, WLS), then writing a fictional novel about a flurry of poisoning deaths in the Midwest certainly doesn't help him cover his tracks. Nor does his $1 million extortion letter to Tylenol manufacturer Johnson & Johnson at the height of the 1982 cynanide poisonings that left seven Chicago residents dead.
Lewis is now the main suspect nearly 28 years after the seemingly random Tylenol deaths sparked fear across the nation. Whether or not charges are filed will hinge on the results of DNA tests conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
But first, a little background to this strange saga.
Beginning on Sept. 29, 1982, after a 12-year-old girl died from ingesting an Extra Strength Tylenol tablet (Wikipedia), several Chicago-area residents also started turning up dead after taking the popular pain reliever. Authorities raced against the clock to pull remaining products from shelves and warn people not to take the pills.
The investigation showed the affected bottles came from different manufacturers, but were limited to Chicago-area stores - this suggested someone was tampering with products locally and post-manufacture.
During the ensuing panic, Lewis demanded $1 million from Johnson & Johnson, where his wife used to work, to "stop the cynanide killings." He was convicted on extortion charges and served a 13-year prison term.
More recently, Lewis published a book strangely similar to the Tylenol incident, entitled "POISON! The Doctor's Dilemma" (Amazon). This in itself would be merely suggestive of guilt, but thanks to advanced technology the FBI has additional reasons to believe Lewis is in fact the Tylenol killer.
A smudged fingerprint on a tampered Tylenol bottle may be the smoking gun, which has been analyzed for its DNA profile. Officials always suspected Lewis committed the crimes but were unable to piece together the evidence needed for a conviction, according to a former US Attorney:
"There was substantial evidence which would indicate that Lewis was in fact the murderer who perpetrated this heinous crime."
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Cold Case cops hope DNA will crack '82 Tylenol murders (VIDEO, ABC Chicago)
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Murder: First Degree (FindLaw)
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Aftermath of the Tylenol Murders (Snopes.com)
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Find a Chicago Criminal Attorney (FindLaw)
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