Exclusive: Investigators are working with prosecutors on a now-or-maybe-never effort to hold a longtime suspect responsible for the 1982 Tylenol murders that killed seven people, the Tribune has learned.
approaches, investigators are working with prosecutors on a now-or-maybe-never effort to hold a longtime suspect responsible for the poisonings that killed seven people in the Chicago area, the Tribune has learned.
Charges are not thought to be imminent and may not come at all, according to sources. Lewis has long denied being the killer. Lewis, 76, has admitted to sending a letter to Tylenol’s parent company, Johnson & Johnson, in the early days of the investigation and demanding payment to “stop the killing.” But he has maintained his innocence regarding the poisonings and various other criminal allegations made against him through the decades.
Lewis, instead, pointed the finger at Johnson & Johnson and questioned why its corporate scientists were allowed to test bottles that were recalled after the murders. Lewis has long maintained that the company was given too powerful a role in an investigation that centered around its own product.“What have you done on that story about J&J’s destruction of all the evidence?” Lewis asked. “They burned several million capsules.
Among other findings, the Tribune has learned authorities exhumed the body of a second Tylenol suspect, Roger Arnold, in June 2010 and extracted DNA from his remains. Arnold, a former Jewel dockhand and home chemist, became a person of interest after police learned he had been acting erratically and talked in a pub about possessing cyanide. He died in 2008.
Also, reporters viewed an FBI video from an elaborate 2007-08 undercover sting operation in which Lewis stated it took him three days to write the extortion letter. Thanks to advances in technology, authorities by 2007 had determined the letter had an Oct. 1, 1982, postmark hidden under layers of ink.
Sources told the Tribune the evidence against Lewis has not changed much since 2010, when investigators as part of a rebooted Tylenol task force obtained fresh samples of his DNA and fingerprints. The FBI also raided his suburban Boston condo and storage locker in early 2009 in the hope of connecting him to the murders.
“There are multiple agencies working on this case,” said Arlington Heights police Sgt. Joseph Murphy. “This is not something that we’ve given up on.” Berlin and Foxx’s representatives both acknowledged the case is active and ongoing but declined further comment. Kelly also declined to comment. “You go where the evidence takes you,” said retired FBI agent Roy Lane Jr., who was on the 1982 Tylenol task force and stayed involved in the case.
office during the rebooted task force, said investigators presented a solid case and, in his opinion, it“Our position was this may be the last, best chance to bring this to public light, but it’s a prosecutor’s decision, not an investigator’s decision,” Grant said in a recent interview. “I felt very bad for the families. I felt very bad for the people who might be at risk. There’s a public interest to , but that’s a prosecutor’s decision.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
1982: Contest asks Hoosiers to create ‘Wander Indiana’ theme songThe Wander Indiana campaign began in January 1982 with the goal of attracting more tourists to the Hoosier state.
Read more »
Best gifts to celebrate a 40th birthday in 2022Whether it's for your spouse, family member, friend, coworker, or any other 40-year-old in your life, we've made sure to run the gamut on great gifts of all types.
Read more »
As Banned Books Week celebrates its 40th anniversary, it's time to unequivocally condemn censorshipAcross the United States, this past year has brought a staggering increase in book challenges, bans and other attacks on the right to read and academic freedom. BannedBooksWeek Texas BannedBooksWeek2022 SanAntonio censorship schools
Read more »
$1 million announcement at Chronicle 'Best Dressed' gown shoot10 gowns and a $1 million announcement. Inside the Chronicle's annual Best Dressed photo shoot
Read more »
Alaskans make plans for their 2022 Permanent Fund DividendFirst distributed in 1982, the dividend given to each qualified Alaskan has varied over the years, from less than $400 to over $2,000 prior to 2022.
Read more »
Adams Avenue Street Fair will mark 40th year with 66 bands, solo acts and DJs; Lestat's music venue re-opensAfter being shelved in 2020 and 2021, the two-day event returns this weekend to the streets of Normal Heights. The lineup include the Beat Farmers, Sara Petite, Whitney Shay,
Read more »