IL IL - Chicago Tylenol Murders: 7 people dead from cyanide poisoning, 1982

[rccook555]

I read over at wikipedia to refresh my brain about it all- there is some information over there (I don't know whether it's a good source or not?) but I was wondering if Mr. Lewis lived in NYC and the poisonings happened in Chicago- how he managed to get the tainted pills there? It just seems like they would have figured this all out when he went on trial for writing the letter to J&J.

:waitasec:

Heres a very good article to tell you how Lewis left Kansas city and traveled to Chicago.
http://www.chicagoreader.com/tylenol_killings/

 

[Boyz_Mum]

In 1979 a Grand Jury charged Lewis with the 1978 dismemberment murder of Raymond West in Kansas City. The charges were dismissed because West's cause of death was not determined and some evidence had been illegally obtained.
Here is a link to a very lengthy and good article on Lewis.
http://www.chicagoreader.com/tylenol_killings/
Read partway down in the article to judge for yourself if he killed Raymond West. (Starting about paragraph 12)

Thanks for the articles! I had no idea that this same man was charged in a dismemberment case too- holy cow!

Thanks rccook555! :blowkiss:

 

[chicagofa13]

I've seen the same grainy photo on a website suggesting that it resembles Ted Kaczynski. I guess we see what we're looking for, a lot of times.

LOL, well there you have it!!

I was just repeating what the newspeople said. They seemed to be stating it as fact it was him in the grainy photo. This case is one of the reasons I became more interested in true crime, even though I was young and probably should have been interested in normal kid stuff (LOL), it was fascinating and scary at the same time.

 

[MeoW333]

Yonkers is reopening their Tylenol death case there:
http://www.lohud.com/article/20090208/NEWS02/902080333/1023/NEWS07

"YONKERS - It's too early to say for sure where the trail may lead as the FBI reopens an investigation into the deaths of seven people who swallowed Tylenol tablets poisoned with cyanide in Chicago 27 years ago, but one place it is unlikely to lead is here.An FBI spokeswoman wouldn't say whether the chief suspect in the Chicago killings - whose condominium complex was raided by federal agents last week - was a suspect in the 1986 death of Diane Elsroth, a 23-year-old Peekskill woman who died after swallowing Tylenol pills laced with cyanide while staying at the home of her boyfriend's parents in Yonkers."

 

[Kat]

The Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski, is one criminal with 'superior intellect' that comes to mind.

Course, all sociopaths think they are superior.

Hans Reiser is another very arrogant killer who thought his intellect was superior. Yeah, he's smart, but he was a very inexperienced murderer who got caught.

Yup Reiser was one I was thinking of and also Tom Murray came to mind in that they felt themselves so superior they never anticipated being caught.

 

[Kat]

In 1979 a Grand Jury charged Lewis with the 1978 dismemberment murder of Raymond West in Kansas City. The charges were dismissed because West's cause of death was not determined and some evidence had been illegally obtained.
Here is a link to a very lengthy and good article on Lewis.
http://www.chicagoreader.com/tylenol_killings/
Read partway down in the article to judge for yourself if he killed Raymond West. (Starting about paragraph 12)

That is an amazing article thank you rccook555. I came to the conclusion that he did indeed kill Mr. West, and did not just dismember him and hoist him up to the attic after Mr. West's death.

There are some very interesting items about Lewis in that article, in fact the article is packed with them.

 

[MeoW333]

That is an amazing article thank you rccook555. I came to the conclusion that he did indeed kill Mr. West, and did not just dismember him and hoist him up to the attic after Mr. West's death.

There are some very interesting items about Lewis in that article, in fact the article is packed with them.

So true, what kind of person would dismember and put a body in an attic unless they really did kill him? I can't believe he got away with that

 

[chicagofa13]

Thanks for the great article rccook! I am pretty sure he killed Mr. West. Too bad LE botched the investigation. And I'm not 100 percent sure he is innocent of the Tylenol murders. I'd like to know if he has an alibi in NYC for all the time the Tylenol was being placed on the shelves in Chicago. Since he wasn't working, was on the run, using a fake name, he could have been back and forth to Chicago, IMO, without too many people knowing. He is so close with his wife I'm sure she has some answers too.

 

[rccook555]

My husband's grandparents where good friends with Mr. West. My husband is actually named after him and my husbands grandfather was one of the persons to find Mr. West in his attic. So i have always followed this case. IMO, have no doubt that Lewis is responsible for the murder of Mr. West. It takes a special kind of evil to murder and dismember a 72 year old man. If Lewis is guilty of the Tylenol murders i really hope he is found guilty and serves his time for it because i think its about time justice caught up with him.

 

[rccook555]

Thanks for the great article rccook! I am pretty sure he killed Mr. West. Too bad LE botched the investigation. And I'm not 100 percent sure he is innocent of the Tylenol murders. I'd like to know if he has an alibi in NYC for all the time the Tylenol was being placed on the shelves in Chicago. Since he wasn't working, was on the run, using a fake name, he could have been back and forth to Chicago, IMO, without too many people knowing. He is so close with his wife I'm sure she has some answers too.

The way i understand it is Lewis was in Chicago until Sep 4, 1982 at that time him and his wife took a one way Amtrak to New York. The first Tylenol murder was Sep 29th 1982 starting with 12 year old Mary Kellerman. So to me it seemed quite plausible he "could" be responsible. To me it seems a bit suspicious Lewis left town a couple weeks before the murders.

 

[chicagofa13]

The way i understand it is Lewis was in Chicago until Sep 4, 1982 at that time him and his wife took a one way Amtrak to New York. The first Tylenol murder was Sep 29th 1982 starting with 12 year old Mary Kellerman. So to me it seemed quite plausible he "could" be responsible. To me it seems a bit suspicious Lewis left town a couple weeks before the murders.

Thanks for the info. I was imagining someone buying the pills and putting them back on the shelves, but not up front, so they wouldn't be bought right away. Then they would be taking their chances when the deaths would occur. If you follow what I am saying. I agree he could have done it. And really what is the proof he didn't return to Chicago??!!

You really do have a close connection to Mr. West. I am sorry your family never got to see him punished for that crime.

 

[chicagofa13]

There is an interview with Lewis on Geraldo tonight (repeats later), starts about the :32 minute mark. I'm tivoing and will watch later.

 

[rccook555]

Thanks for the info. I was imagining someone buying the pills and putting them back on the shelves, but not up front, so they wouldn't be bought right away. Then they would be taking their chances when the deaths would occur. If you follow what I am saying. I agree he could have done it. And really what is the proof he didn't return to Chicago??!!

You really do have a close connection to Mr. West. I am sorry your family never got to see him punished for that crime.

That was exactly my thoughts also. I just dont think he would risk the chance and place them in the front. Makes more sense to put them further back then get out of town. And he very well could have traveled back to Chicago too.

Thank you for the kind words. I know finding Mr. West really affected my husbands grandfather. And he didnt like to talk about it much. He passed away several years ago hoping justice would be served.
I think it will be served if not on earth then someplace higher up.

I didn't see the Geraldo interview, i didn't know one was going to be on.
Could you give me a brief summary of it?
Thanks!!

 

[Boyz_Mum]

Yesterday I was having trouble with WS and browsed around the net using the search term James Lewis Tylenol Murders and came up with a slew of articles about him- he was arrested for rape and the victim didn't go through with testisfying against him (that happens sometimes).

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-tylenol-suspect-bd-08feb08,0,6345772.story

This link touches briefly on the rape case.

I was just astounded at the way he's been able to run amok and I can't believe his wife went along with most of his shenanigans! :doh:

 

[Kat]

From the link that Boyz Mum posted in # 33"

"Lewis' troubles began early in his life. In the 1960s, he was treated at a psychiatric facility after reportedly chasing his mother with an ax, attacking his stepfather and then trying to commit suicide by taking 36 headache tablets."

Then the link that rccook55 gave us identified those tablets as anacin.

Why does this send alarm bells off in my head? It just screams at me and I can't figure out why.

 

[kemo]

All of the Tylenol deaths occured on 9/29/82. Two of the bottles were known to have been purchased that day. At the time, Tylenol was the most popular pain reliever and would probably move rapidly from retailers shelves. I think it is probable that most bottles of pain reliever would be opened and used within 24 hours of purchase. Therefore, it would be highly unlikely that all of the poisoned tylenol could have been placed on the shelves prior to 9/4/82; the day the Lewis left Chicago for NYC. The FBI concluded they were placed 9/28/82.

One of the bottles was placed in a store a mile from the Lewis's old neighborhood of Lincoln Park. The others were placed in various stores over a wide swath of suburbs west of the city. While I'm sure someone could get from the city out to Wingfield, 25 miles to the west, then 20 miles up to Arlington heights by public transportation, it is improbable. Who ever did it must have had a vehicle. (It is very difficult to rent a car with fake id's)

While Lewis's alibi isn't rock solid, its a real stretch to believe he could have made it to Chicago and back during that timeframe without leaving any trace. Since they were obviously short of funds, it seems strange that he would would spend this much money on a caper that would only cause trouble for an enemy and not earn him any finacial gain. (The "extortion" letter clearly was intended to "frame" Frederick Miller McCahey as there would be no way for Lewis to actually collect any money from the account he instructed Johnson & Johnson to use)

James Lewis is a sociopath with an interesting (and not particularly sucessful) criminal history but I don't think he did the Tylenol Murders.

 

[chicagofa13]

That was exactly my thoughts also. I just dont think he would risk the chance and place them in the front. Makes more sense to put them further back then get out of town. And he very well could have traveled back to Chicago too.

Thank you for the kind words. I know finding Mr. West really affected my husbands grandfather. And he didnt like to talk about it much. He passed away several years ago hoping justice would be served.
I think it will be served if not on earth then someplace higher up.

I didn't see the Geraldo interview, i didn't know one was going to be on.
Could you give me a brief summary of it?
Thanks!!

At the end of this post I put a link to the video, it will be better than a summary from me (and I still haven't seen the clip!). If the link doesn't work go to his website

http://www.foxnews.com/geraldo/index.html

and the name of the video is "Seeking 'Closure'"

http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video...Url=http://www.foxnews.com/geraldo/index.html

 

[chicagofa13]

All of the Tylenol deaths occured on 9/29/82. Two of the bottles were known to have been purchased that day. At the time, Tylenol was the most popular pain reliever and would probably move rapidly from retailers shelves. I think it is probable that most bottles of pain reliever would be opened and used within 24 hours of purchase. Therefore, it would be highly unlikely that all of the poisoned tylenol could have been placed on the shelves prior to 9/4/82; the day the Lewis left Chicago for NYC. The FBI concluded they were placed 9/28/82.

One of the bottles was placed in a store a mile from the Lewis's old neighborhood of Lincoln Park. The others were placed in various stores over a wide swath of suburbs west of the city. While I'm sure someone could get from the city out to Wingfield, 25 miles to the west, then 20 miles up to Arlington heights by public transportation, it is improbable. Who ever did it must have had a vehicle. (It is very difficult to rent a car with fake id's)

While Lewis's alibi isn't rock solid, its a real stretch to believe he could have made it to Chicago and back during that timeframe without leaving any trace. Since they were obviously short of funds, it seems strange that he would would spend this much money on a caper that would only cause trouble for an enemy and not earn him any finacial gain. (The "extortion" letter clearly was intended to "frame" Frederick Miller McCahey as there would be no way for Lewis to actually collect any money from the account he instructed Johnson & Johnson to use)

James Lewis is a sociopath with an interesting (and not particularly sucessful) criminal history but I don't think he did the Tylenol Murders.

Kemo, thanks for the info. I tried to find a timeline yesterday but I didn't see one on the links I was using. I was unable to verify the dates the three others took the pills. I know the first four were on the same day, starting with Kellerman in the AM, but the other three it seemed unclear.

I agree it is a stretch for him to return unnoticed. However, given everything else he has done, I wouldn't be shocked!

 

[kemo]

There is a lot of information out there. From what I can tell, they all died the same day, 9/29/82. Apparently the cyanide caused the gelitine capsules to deteriorate within a few days. One of the reasons the FBI believed the bottles were placed on the shelves 9/28/82 was that the poisoned capsules would have been noticably deteiorated had they been placed any earlier.

This cases has some interesting twists and turns but I don't think Lewis is the perp.











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[chicagofa13]

Thanks.

I found a site that said three died the 29th, the others are listed October '82. I forgot Janus' wife died 2 days later. The others I guess around the same time. So I would agree if the cyanide wasn't stable for long it had to be bought recently and up front on the shelves. IME I buy things I need in the future and don't open them for weeks. Some bottles were not purchased, so that was interesting to me since most of these drugs stores seem to be in busy areas. I used to live in Schaumburg and shopped all over that area, and am in Chicago now.

It is so random and odd. After Stella Nickel and her copycat crime I did wonder if at least one of these victims were targeted. Or this is just a really demented individual. Which is far scarier.