It appears like an city legend, nevertheless it was chillingly actual in 1982.
Tylenol capsules laced with cyanide that had been offered in the Chicago suburbs had been linked to the deaths of seven individuals, main to a nationwide panic that had the Food and Drug Administration advising shoppers throughout the nation to cease taking Tylenol merchandise.
No one has ever been charged with the murders.
Forty years after that terrifying interval in September 1982, investigators say new proof and a possible motive could also be sufficient to lastly remedy the case.
Here’s what to find out about the historical past of the case and the newest developments.
What are the Tylenol murders?
Seven individuals between the ages of 12 and 35 years outdated died in 1982 after ingesting extra-strength Tylenol capsules that had been discovered to have been laced with cyanide, a lethal chemical.
The tablets had been offered at shops in suburban Chicago, and bottles of Tylenol had been instantly pulled from cabinets to be examined by well being departments for the presence of cyanide.
Local police departments and state’s attorneys places of work have been attempting to crack the case for 40 years.
Three of the deaths occurred in Arlington Heights, the place police advised NBC Chicago final yr that they nonetheless have the tablets, bottles and bins as proof.
“We still receive tips that are being evaluated and investigated. We are also still — we’re looking at emerging forensic technology,” Sgt. Joe Murphy advised NBC Chicago final yr.
The Illinois State Police advised NBC News the investigation stays ongoing.
Has anybody been investigated for the murders?
A decadeslong investigation has centered round Massachusetts man James Lewis, 76, who was 36 at the time of the murders.
Lewis admitted to the FBI that he despatched a ransom letter at the time to Tylenol’s mother or father firm, Johnson & Johnson, in accordance to reporting by The Chicago Tribune.
The publication reported this week that it has obtained video and hundreds of paperwork outlining regulation enforcement’s present case and a potential motive for the killings. NBC News has not reviewed that proof.
Tribune reporter Stacy St. Clair advised NBC News correspondent Kathy Park on TODAY Friday that quite a few regulation enforcement sources shut to the investigation have advised her that Lewis is the solely particular person presently described as a goal of the investigation.
Advances in know-how have allowed investigators to decide the postmark date on the extortion letter written by Lewis that calls for $1 million to be wired to a checking account “if you want to stop the killing,” in accordance to the Chicago Tribune’s evaluation of the paperwork.
“As you can see, it is easy to place cyanide…into capsules sitting on store shelves,” he wrote in the letter.
The new timeline suggests Lewis wrote the letter earlier than the public knew the deaths had been linked to the tainted Tylenol tablets, in accordance to the Chicago Tribune.
Lewis, who now lives in the Boston space, has lengthy denied any involvement in the murders and has by no means been charged. NBC News reached out to Lewis and didn’t obtain a response.
Reporters from the Chicago Tribune tracked down Lewis final month as a part of the investigative podcast “Unsealed: The Tylenol Murders” and requested him if he has any theories on who the Tylenol Killer could be.
“Ladies, you have ever been harassed for something for 40 years that you had nothing to do with?” he answered.
What was the fallout from the case and the place does it stand now?
The panic stemming from the Tylenol murders resulted in a everlasting change in the packaging of medication.
Tamper-resistant capsule containers had been launched with packaging that enables shoppers to discover if a bottle of tablets or medicine has been opened or altered.
“Our highest responsibility has always been the health and safety of our consumers,” Johnson & Johnson stated in a press release to NBC News. “While this tragic incident remains unsolved, this event resulted in important industry improvements to patient safety measures including the creation of tamper-resistant packaging.”
As for the ongoing case, sources conversant in the investigation advised the Chicago Tribune that expenses usually are not imminent and should not come in any respect as a result of the case lacks bodily proof.
However, investigators consider circumstantial proof is sufficient to make this a “chargeable” case, however that call would have to come from prosecutors, in accordance to paperwork reviewed by the Chicago Tribune. NBC News has not reviewed these paperwork.
This article was initially printed on TODAY.com