What to Know About Robert Richardson and the 1982 Chicago Tylenol Murders
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Entertainment gossip and news from Newsweek's network of contributors
The latest of Netflix's "Cold Case" docuseries, "Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders", dives into the killings of seven people in Chicago who were poisoned by cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules.
The star witness of the docuseries is James Lewis - formerly Robert Richardson - who at one point was the FBI's chief suspect for the murders. While Lewis spent over a decade in prison for extortion, authorities could never definitively tie him to the killings.
Read More: Alix Earle Joins Dancing with the Stars: Everything Else to Know About S34
James Lewis, formerly Robert Richardson, in "Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders".
James Lewis, formerly Robert Richardson, in "Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders".
Netflix
What to Know About the 1982 Tylenol Murders
In 1982, in the space of mere days, seven people died in Chicago from cyanide-laced Tylenol capsules.
Cyanide is a highly toxic liquid. When ingested, cyanide affects the body's ability to use oxygen. It acts fast and is often deadly.
In the panic that followed the deaths, millions across the nation were terrified at the idea of taking Tylenol or any other over-the-counter drugs. One of the largest criminal investigations in US history tried and failed to find the answer to who had poisoned the pills.
Who Were the Tylenol Murder Victims?
We only know for sure about seven victims of the Tylenol murders. There was 12-year-old Mary Kellerman, 27-year-old postal worker Adam Janus, Adam's brother Stanley Janus, Stanley's wife Theresa Janus, 31-year-old Mary McFarland, 35-year-old Paula Prince, and 27-year-old Mary "Lynn" Reiner.
However, it is believed that - because of the difficulty of detecting cyanide poisoning without a specific test - others, especially elderly people, died from the pills without anyone ever identifying the cause.
What to Know About Robert Richardson and the Tylenol Murder Case
The former Robert Richardson - who has since changed his name to James Lewis according to the Chicago Tribune - has consistently claimed he was innocent of the 1982 murders and that he was in New York with his wife when the pills would have been tampered with.
The FBI was only ever able to prove extortion after Lewis demanded $1 million from Johnson & Johnson to stop the killings. He was convicted of extortion and served 12 years of a 20-year sentence.
Who was Responsible for the Tylenol Murders?
To this day, there is no definitive word on who is responsible for lacing Tylenol with cyanide and killing seven people in Chicago in 1982. "Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders" directors Yotam Guendelman and Ari Pines, in a statement to Tudum, wrote, "With 'Cold Case: The Tylenol Murders', we're taking a fresh look at this complex, haunting puzzle, shedding new light through overlooked evidence, unheard testimonies, and troubling inconsistencies.
Our hope is that by expanding the narrative, we might bring the families of the victims a step closer to the answers they've awaited for decades."
More TV:
Netflix's 'Sirens' Filming Locations: Where the Dark Comedy Comes to Life
When is Season 2 of' The Pitt' Coming Out? What to Know About Plot, Cast
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
41 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Proud Boys members file federal lawsuit over 'illegal' tactics in Jan. 6 prosecutions
Five members of the Proud Boys are suing the U.S. government and certain employees in the FBI and Department of Justice for $100 million over their Jan. 6 prosecutions. Enrique Tarrio, Zachary Rehl, Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs and Dominic Pezzola allege in the lawsuit the FBI and DOJ violated their constitutional rights with their prosecution over what prosecutors said was their planning of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. In a document filed in a Florida federal court and obtained by Fox News Digital, the men claim "egregious and systemic abuse of the legal system and the United States Constitution to punish and oppress political allies of President Trump, by any and all means necessary, legal, or illegal. "Through the use of evidence tampering, witness intimidation, violations of attorney-client privilege, and placing spies to report on trial strategy, the government got its fondest wish of imprisoning the J6 Defendants, the modern equivalent of placing one's enemies' heads on a spike outside the town wall as a warning to any who would think to challenge the status quo." Outgoing Us Capitol Police Chief Criticizes Trump Pardons For Jan. 6 Defendants Fox News Digital has reached out to the U.S. Department of Justice for comment. Read On The Fox News App Four of the five men were convicted of seditious conspiracy after the attack, and Tarrio faced the harshest punishment — 22 years for planning the attack — of any of the Jan. 6 defendants, according to The Wall Street Journal. Nordean was sentenced to 18 years, Biggs was sentenced to 17 years and Rehl was sentenced to 15 years. Pezzola was found guilty of conspiracy to obstruct Congress and sentenced to 10 years in prison. However, President Donald Trump pardoned or commuted the sentences of nearly all the defendants after he took office this year, including Tarrio, Rehl, Nordean, Biggs and Pezzola. Trump Administration Agrees To Pay Ashli Babbitt's Family $5 Million All the men except Tarrio were at the U.S. Capitol Jan. 6, according to the Journal. Tarrio had been barred from entering Washington, D.C., because of a previous arrest, The Washington Post reported. "Now that the Plaintiffs are vindicated, free, and able to once again exercise their rights as American citizens, they bring this action against their tormentors for violations of their Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendment Rights … as well as the common law tort of malicious prosecution and false imprisonment," the suit adds. Prosecutors said Pezzola was seen on video using a police riot shield to commit the first breach of the U.S. Capitol Jan. 6. Prosecutors alleged the men were charged under a "novel theory of criminal conspiracy called the 'tool theory,'" according to the suit. "Despite the legal jiggery-pokery employed by the government to obscure the fact, the Plaintiffs were essentially convicted of 'stochastic terrorism,' a leftist bugbear used to describe rhetoric offensive to them that they claim provokes violent acts." The men also claimed in the lawsuit that the government didn't have probable cause to raid their article source: Proud Boys members file federal lawsuit over 'illegal' tactics in Jan. 6 prosecutions
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
'What The F**k...': Watch Joe Rogan And Trump's FBI Director React To Musk's Post
Podcaster Joe Rogan — while recording an interview with conspiracy theorist and FBI Director Kash Patel on Thursday — was stunned as the two learned of billionaire Elon Musk's post linking Donald Trump to the Jeffrey Epstein files. 'What the fuck are they doing?' said Rogan, who's been credited for aiding Trump on his way to victory last year. Rogan read Musk's 'really big bomb' on the president word for word. 'Jesus Christ!' he remarked. Patel swiftly backed away from the topic. 'I'm not participating in any of that conversation between Elon and —,' said Patel, before cutting himself off. 'Someone should take his phone away,' Rogan said of Musk, before noting that Trump declared that he was 'disappointed' in the billionaire. He continued, 'Jesus Christ, that's a crazy thing to say. How does he know? Does he know that Donald Trump is in the Epstein files? Does he have access to the Epstein files?' Patel shrugged off the inquiry. 'I don't know how he would, but I'm just staying out of the Trump-Elon thing, that's way outside my lane,' he said. 'I know my lane and that ain't it.' Rogan has previously described Musk as 'the great and powerful' while promoting the billionaire's appearance on his podcast in early November. He declared at the time that Musk made 'the most compelling case' for Trump just before rolling out his endorsement of the president. On Friday, Trump seemingly acknowledged Musk's post tying him to Epstein by reposting a statement by Epstein's former attorney David Schoen, who wrote that he asked the disgraced financier if he had any information 'to hurt' the president, to no avail. Epstein hired Schoen just nine days before he died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. Trump has previously denied being on Epstein's plane or island. The two were spotted together on a number of occasions back in the '80s and '90s. Trump And Musk's 'Public Meltdown' Sparks 1 Gravely Concerning Question, Expert Says Trump Administration Asks Supreme Court To Leave Mass Layoffs At Education Department In Place Seth Meyers Points Out The Strangest Part Of Elon Musk And Trump's Feud
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Alleged Spy Was Also 22-Year-Old Ex-Grocery Store Clerk Hired by Trump
A U.S. intelligence worker charged with trying to leak state secrets to a foreign spy agency was hired as a 22-year-old with little professional experience outside the cash register at a local grocery store, The Daily Beast can reveal. His professional experience prior to joining a U.S. national security agency was remarkably similar to that of Thomas Fugate, who has just been appointed to lead terror prevention at the Department of Homeland Security. A cybersecurity graduate of Florida Polytechnic University, Nathan Vilas Laatsch is the second national security official in two days whom The Daily Beast has revealed to have virtually no professional experience other than working at a grocery store before being hired by a U.S national security agency at the age of 22. Laatsch, now 28, a computer scientist with 'top secret' clearance at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) in Virginia, was hired under the last Trump administration. He was arrested last week, accused of attempting to pass sensitive information to Germany's Federal Intelligence Service (BND). When Laatsch was hired for the role with a Top Secret security clearance at the age of 22 in August 2019, he had just stopped working as a cashier at Publix supermarket in Plant City, Florida, according to his LinkedIn account. His skills included 'providing customer service,' 'handling moderate amounts of money,' and 'operating a cash register.' It allegedly proved to be a terrible appointment. Laatsch was arrested last week after an FBI counterintelligence operation. Thomas Fugate, who graduated from college just 12 months ago, has been tasked by Trump with tackling U.S. extremism while leading the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships at the Department of Homeland Security, having been employed as a 'Cross Functional Team Member' at a grocery store less than two years ago. Fugate had also been working as a neighborhood gardener just five years ago. There is no suggestion he has done anything illegal. In March 2025, the FBI commenced an operation after receiving a tip that Laatsch had contacted the BND, stating that he 'did not agree or align with the values of this [Trump] administration.' He allegedly stated he was prepared to share 'completed intelligence products, some unprocessed intelligence, and other assorted classified documentation,' according to court documents quoted by the Department of Justice. He stated that he was interested in German 'citizenship' because he did not 'expect things here to improve in the long term,' and was not seeking 'material compensation.' On May 14, an undercover FBI agent allegedly advised Laatsch that they were prepared to receive additional classified information. Between May 15 and May 27, Laatsch is accused of transcribing multiple pages of notes while logged into his classified workstation, folding the notes, and exfiltrating the classified information in his clothing. On May 29, Laatsch arrived at a prearranged location in northern Virginia, where he was arrested. He made his initial court appearance in the Eastern District of Virginia the following day. The DIA has been approached for comment but has not yet responded.
