BOSTON — While authorities in Chicago have long suspected James W. Lewis was responsible for the 1982 Tylenol poisonings, which killed seven people, the only thing they ever pinned on him was an extortion attempt against the maker of the pain reliever. No one was ever charged in the seven cyanide deaths.
Now the FBI says there are new leads in the Tylenol case and on Wednesday seized a computer and boxes of files from Lewis’ Boston-area home. The mysterious and sudden flurry of activity has raised hopes of a long-awaited break in the sensational 26-year-old case.
Exactly why investigators have suddenly taken so much interest in the self-proclaimed “Tylenol Man” is unclear, but the FBI cited advances in forensic technology, along with publicity and tips that came in around the 25th anniversary of the crime in 2007.
Authorities have refused to release any further details of the investigation, including the whereabouts of Lewis, who is in his early 60s.He was convicted of extortion in 1983 and spent 12 years in prison, getting out in 1995.
