Latest news with #RobertRichardson
Newsweek
26-05-2025
- Newsweek
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
Axios
10-03-2025
- Automotive
- Axios
Auto dealer megadeal could become a legal headache
Asbury Auto Group last month agreed to pay $1.34 billion to acquire a New England auto dealership network called Herb Chambers. Why it matters: It's a huge deal by sector standards, but also could exacerbate legal headaches for Herb Chambers, which is being sued by a dealership finance manager for allegedly failing to pay overtime and related wages. Catch up quick: The finance manager sued Herb Chambers nearly four years ago, as part of what is intended to be a class action that could include hundreds of finance managers. In its defense, Herb Chambers has essentially argued that it doesn't really employee finance managers. Instead, it claims that specific dealerships are the finance managers' sole employer, and thus Herb Chambers isn't liable for the overtime (particularly for the broader class). It's a legal strategy that Herb Chambers tried once before, related to a dealership parts adviser, albeit unsuccessfully. Zoom in: Asbury's announcement, however, didn't resort to such hair-splitting. Instead, the publicly traded company said that it had: "[S]igned a definitive agreement to acquire various automotive dealerships owned by The Herb Chambers Companies ... and includes 33 dealerships, 52 franchises, and three collision centers." In other words, Asbury is saying that Herb Chambers owns the dealerships. And thus would seem to employ the people who work at them. What they're saying:"The announcement is relevant legally, beyond the obvious hypocritical part of it," says plaintiff's attorney Robert Richardson, who also acknowledged the philanthropy of Herb Chambers' namesake founder. Georgia-based Asbury, which is publicly traded with a $5 billion market cap, didn't respond to a request for comment. Look ahead: A court will hear the motion for a class action designaton next month. If the plaintiffs are successful, Herb Chambers could be on the hook for more than $13 million — although that's obviously a rounding error on the merger size. It's unclear if Asbury would assume the liability, or if Herb Chambers is holding a possible verdict in escrow. The bottom line: Press releases sometimes disclose more than is intended.
CBC
18-02-2025
- Business
- CBC
Large landlord reports biggest operating income increase for Halifax apartments in last 5 years
Halifax-based landlord Killam Apartment REIT reported its largest increase in net operating income in Halifax in the last five years, according to the company's new 2024 year-end financial report. Killam took in $67.32 million in net operating income — revenues made after subtracting the expenses of operating a building — from its Halifax apartments last year. Net operating income is not the same as profit because it excludes expenses like mortgage payments. "Halifax and Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge remain two of Killam's strongest markets," said executive vice-president Robert Richardson during the company's fourth-quarter earnings call with analysts on Feb. 13. Killam owns 5,600 apartments in Halifax and more than 18,000 across Canada. A key topic discussed on the earnings call was a sharp decline at the end of 2024 in Killam's estimate of how much higher market rents are compared to its average rent — a financial metric called the "mark-to-market spread." Killam, like other landlords, tries to boost an apartment's rent to the higher market rate when new tenants move in. In Nova Scotia, the province's rent cap only applies to lease renewals. "It's a … key part of their ability to grow revenue over time," said Neil Lovitt, a vice-president with real estate consulting company Turner Drake. As the gap closes between Killam's rents and the market rate, there's less opportunity to raise rents. "Killam's apartment portfolio rents have room to move [upward], likely in the 15 per cent range," Richardson said, referring to the company's apartments across Canada. In its year-end report, the company said it partners with non-profits and governments to address the need for affordable housing. The report points to stabilizing market rents as a reason for the decline in Killam's mark-to-market spread. "We're getting to a point where … the growth in market rents have hit somewhat of a ceiling," said Lovitt, adding that this is a broad pattern both in Halifax and across Canada. Rents in Nova Scotia increased by 4.8 per cent on average in December compared to the same month in 2023, according to Statistics Canada. That's down significantly from a peak rent inflation rate of 14.6 per cent in October 2023. Still, Killam estimates that market rents in Halifax are about 25 per cent higher than its average rent — the highest differential among the regions it has apartments in, according to Killam's earnings call slide show. Chief financial officer Dale Noseworthy said the company's success in raising rents to the market rate is also part of the reason why its opportunity to do so has decreased. "We've achieved some really strong rents," Noseworthy said during the earnings call. "I'd say … both those markets [Halifax and Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge] are holding up very well."
