Police in Cambridge, Massachusetts confirmed to reporters Monday (July 10) James Lewis, the suspect of the 1982 Tylenol murders in Chicago, has been found dead Sunday afternoon (July 9) at the age of 76.
Emergency services responded to a report of an unresponsive person at his home at about 16:00 Eastern Time (20:00 UTC), Cambridge Police Superintendent Frederick Cabral said in a statement.
"Following an investigation, Lewis's death was determined to be not suspicious," the statement added.
Lewis was pronounced dead at the scene.
James Lewis and the Tylenol Murders
No one was ever charged in the deaths of seven people in Chicago who took Tylenol laced with cyanide. However, Lewis was arrested and served more than 12 years in prison for sending an extortion note to Johnson & Johnson, demanding $1 million to "stop the killing."
When he was arrested in 1982 after a nationwide manhunt, he gave investigators a detailed account of how the killer might have operated. Lewis later admitted to sending the letter and demanding the money but also explained he never intended to collect it.
The Chicago Tribune revisited the case last year in an eight-episode podcast series, which included a review of documents and video evidence sourced by law enforcement.
As a result of the Tylenol murders, the Food and Drug Administration passed regulations on tamper-proof packaging as a direct response to the 1982 deaths. The next year, Congress passed the Federal Anti-Tampering Act, making tampering with consumer products punishable by up to 20 years in prison or a lifetime maximum if there was proof of someone dying as a result.
