James W. Lewis, the man once suspected in the unsolved Tylenol poisoning deaths that rocked the Chicago area, has died, according to police in Massachusetts.
Cambridge police confirmed to NBC 5 Investigates Monday that authorities responded to Lewis’ Gore Street residence at approximately 4:01 p.m. Sunday for a report of an unresponsive person.
“Shortly thereafter, James Lewis, 76, Cambridge, was declared deceased," Cambridge police said in an emailed statement. "Following an investigation, Lewis’ death was determined to be not suspicious."
The deaths of seven people in 1982 in the Chicago area prompted panic, a nationwide recall of Tylenol and public warnings about taking the over-the-counter pain medication.
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But who was responsible for lacing Tylenol with cyanide has become a 40-year mystery.
Lewis was just one of a few people whose name became part of that search for answers.
Lewis admitted to sending a letter to Tylenol’s parent company, Johnson & Johnson, demanding a $1 million ransom to “stop the killing.”
He was later convicted of extortion and spent years in prison. But Lewis was never charged or convicted with any of the deaths and for years maintained his innocence.
During an interview from prison, Lewis spoke about the police interest in him, saying: “They are barking up the wrong tree. And as long as they continue to do this, it absolutely guarantees that they will never that they will never solve the Tylenol homicides."
After his release and move to Massachusetts, Lewis maintained a website where he continued to maintain his innocence.
Despite four decades with no resolution, police have held onto evidence from the 1980s and continued to investigate.
The Chicago Tribune reported last fall that the FBI traveled to the Boston area to interview Lewis as part of renewed effort by law enforcement to solve the murders.
Previously, in 2009, authorities raided Lewis’ Massachusetts home, removing a computer and boxes. The following year, Lewis and his wife were required to submit DNA samples, according to NBC 5 Investigates’ archives.
“Lewis spent many hours with us, speculating in word, in manuscript and in artform how the Tylenol killer may have committed the crimes,” former federal prosecutor Jeremy Margolis told NBC 5 Investigates during a 2021 interview.
He also drew this sketch for now-former federal prosecutor Jeremy Margolis speculating about how the killer may have gotten the cyanide into the capsules.
A spokesperson for the Illinois State Police released a statement Monday saying that the “investigation is still ongoing” into the Tylenol deaths.
In a statement to NBC 5 Investigates, the Arlington Heights Police Department released the following statement saying that the agency “is aware of the death” of James W. Lewis.
The statement continued:
“No individual has been charged for the murders in these poisonings, and the investigation is ongoing. As this investigation remains active and open, it would not be appropriate to offer comment or analysis on any one individual or suspect’s involvement in this case.
The Arlington Heights Police Department and its partner law enforcement agencies remain committed to solving these heinous murders.”
NBC 5 Investigates spoke by phone Monday with Joe Janus, who lost three relatives to the Tylenol poisonings. He told us by phone he’ll be curious to learn more about what may have caused Lewis’ death.
Again, Cambridge police told us there is nothing suspicious in Lewis' death.
NBC 5 Investigates spoke to the medical examiner’s office in Boston, which is investigating the official cause and manner of death. There’s no timeline on when that will be complete.
