Over forty years have passed since, in 1982, seven people died in the Chicago area after ingesting Tylenol capsules containing cyanide. A shocking event that paralyzed the entire nation and that, still today, remains wrapped in mystery: nobody knows who contaminated the pills nor how he managed to do it.
To tell this chilling story is the three -episode documentary “Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders”available on Netflix from May 26th. The documentary offers a detailed overview of the case, with interviews with journalists, former members of the police and acquaintances of the victims. Among the protagonists too James W. Lewismain suspected for more than forty years, which explains why, according to him, he cannot be the killer.
Tylenol murders, as it all started
The alarm took place when three members of the same family – Adam Janus (27 years old), Stanley Janus (25) And Theresa Janus (20) – They died almost simultaneously.
“The only reason they realized that something was happening is that three young people from the same family died all together at the same time,” he explains Yotam Guendelmanco-regista of the series. “In many ways, it is a perfect crime, because cyanide becomes practically unavailable after a few hours.”
Other victims were Mary Kellerman (12 years old), Mary Reiner (27) – Mother of four children -, Mary McFarland (31)used in a telephone company, e Paula Prince (35)United Airlines flight assistant.
The documentaryness collects the testimonies of those who lived those dramatic moments. Michelle Rosendaughter of Mary Reiner, remember she was eight years old when she saw her mother collapse on the ground in the grip of convulsions. Jean Regula Leavengoodcolleague and friend of Paula Prince, says that the authorities informed her that Prince’s lips were so contaminated by cyanide that anyone who tried to revive her would die.
Terror spread nationally. The volunteers went to door to warn the population of the contaminated Tylenol, while the police patrolled the streets with megaphones to spread the alarm. It was assumed that the bottles had been tampered with individually and then put back on the shelves of pharmacies.
Tylenol’s murders had deep repercussions: The introduction of plastic seals on drugs and food products, today standard, was born from that collective trauma. As reported by Timeeven paranoia for contaminated Halloween candies – which spread in the same year – is partially attributable to those facts.
“Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders” also explores one Alternative theory: the contamination may have occurred in the production line Johnson & Johnson, Tylenol’s parent company. The documentary reports the presence of cyanide in the establishments from which the contaminated bottles came and connects a further death to occur to Yonkers, New York, in 1986when the safety seals were already in use.
“We don’t want to blame anyone, nor Jim Lewis nor, of course, Johnson & Johnson,” clarifies the co-regista Ari pines. “But we believe that in such an important case it is essential to analyze all the possible actors involved closely, including large companies”.
Johnson & Johnson has always denied that the contaminated pills were produced in his plants and refused to give interviews for the documentary.
The main suspect
James W. Lewisan accountant with a dark past, was the main suspect because he sent a letter to Johnson & Johnson asking for a million dollars to stop the deaths. The manufacturer Molly Forster He took a year to conquer his trust and get an interview.
Lewis had already been arrested previously: one of his clients, Ray Westhe had been found dismembered in the attic of his house, and Lewis had tried to collect a false check in his name. However, the accusations were withdrawn for a procedural defect: the agents had not read the Miranda rights.
The detective David Barton It reveals that drafts of extortion letters and a book on poisoning were found in Lewis house.
“I wouldn’t hurt anyone,” says Lewis with a laugh at the end of the first episode. And he concludes: “You can continue to ask me questions forever. If we ever invent a technology to read my mind, you would not find anything compromising”.
As for the extortion letter, Lewis justifies it as the result of pain: he claims that Johnson & Johnson had produced a defective patch that contributed to the death of his daughter, and attributed to the company the fault of the tragedy.
Condemned for extortiondiscount 12 years in prisonbut it was never indicted for murder: the authorities were unable to demonstrate that it was in Chicago during the deaths. In fact, he was already at New York for a few weeks.
“They never had forensic tests to actually connect it to the murders,” explains Guendelman. And the former superintendent of the Chicago police, Richard Brzeczeksays: “James Lewis was an asshole, but it wasn’t the Tylenol killer”.
The interview with the series was the last of Lewis, who died the 9 July 2023.
“He liked to attract attention,” Guendelman observes. “He liked to be considered the Tylenol man, without having to serve his sentence,” adds Pines.
Because the case of Tylenol’s murders has never been resolved
According to Guendelman, the number of victims could be higher than that officially recognized. And the scarcity of evidence has made any assessment difficult: in the frenzy of eliminating the contaminated packs, many tests were lost in the first days of the investigation.
With the death of Lewis, the directors hope that the authorities finally flood the range of investigations.
“Focusing on a single suspect has not brought us anywhere. Continue to do the same thing will not lead to different results,” Pines underlines.
The hope is that this documentary, distributed on the largest streaming platform in the world, can reach someone who knows crucial details or push theFBI to desecting relevant documents.
In the meantime, restlessness remains. “Even if a bottle seems completely sealed, it could still be contaminated,” warns Pines. “So yes, I think this series will frighten people to death.”
